Slow Fire Burn
by love2chuck
Summary: Daryl slowly saw a change in Carol that mirrored the changes in himself. Where their predicament would take them you can only find out by reading on. Takes place directly after episode 213, Beside The Dying Fire. I own no rights to TWD, comic or show.
1. Slow Fire Burn

The small fire had died down to a brilliant ring of orange embers, which was just the way they wanted it. Daryl had taken watch for a few hours while the others slept and it was time to wake Rick.

Tension had been a prominent factor among the group as it was, but what happened had changed everything, it had more than taken them by surprise. Not only had they had to flee their temporary safe haven, but Rick had told them he'd killed Shane and they were all infected with whatever this virus was.

Daryl looked at his arms in the dying light of the fire. He held them straight out in front of him, imagining the virus flowing freely through his veins. It pissed him off, but there wasn't much that didn't. No matter what, aside from a mortal head wound, they would each become the geeks they'd been battling for months.

So far so good tonight though, hadn't heard a peep aside from the group tossing and turning near the campfire.

"Rick." He laid a hand on Rick's bony shoulder and he came up off the large bolder he'd been leaning against faster than Daryl had expected, knocking into his crossbow.

"Hey." Daryl complained. "Just wanted to wake you so I could get some kindlin' for the fire. Haven't heard nothin' so far, been quiet as death."

Rick winced at his choice of words and nodded. "Give a holler if you need me and be quick." Rick started to place his hand on Daryl's shoulder but Daryl backed up before he could. From Rick's nod, Daryl knew he understood. They'd formed an uneasy alliance, but Rick knew Daryl liked his space.

Lori was curled up with Carl the furthest from Rick as she could get. As far as he knew they hadn't spoken since they came back from having their talk and Rick had told everyone what he'd done to Shane.

He hadn't done nothin' Daryl hadn't wanted to do months ago. Shane had made sense at times but he'd been off his rocker lately and it stood to reason that things would come to blows with him and Rick. It hadn't been a shock, and it wouldn't surprise him if Lori and Rick fell apart because of it.

Daryl smirked to himself. Drama. It was exactly what he wanted to avoid, which was when his eyes fell upon Carol's thin frame and the smirk went away quickly. She was sleeping, curled up on her side close to the fire, her head resting in the crook of her arm. T-Dog had passed out a few blankets that were stored in the trunk of Maggie's car earlier; still Carol had something clutched to her chest that he could barely make out. He squinted and moved close enough to see that it was his vest with the wings on the back of it and his jacket – what he'd given her to cover up with before they'd found the blankets. Watching her sleep proved to be a mistake. "Shit." He muttered, and set off on foot before he allowed anymore strange feelings to surface.

As the brush crunched under his feet, he clenched his fists, closed his eyes and blocked out the sounds of her screams which echoed in his head, and the thought of what would've happened if he hadn't gotten to her in time.

Where they'd stopped to rest reminded him of his old huntin' grounds near his dad's run-down shack of a house on the outskirts of his hometown, the huge pipe, and the sound of trickling water into the small stream. He hitched up his pants and veered off into the thicker brush where they'd found the most firewood earlier.

A lone firefly buzzed by, blinking its green light, reminding him of how things used to be before the world went to shit. When he was alone like this it was easy to pretend it hadn't, but life hadn't been any less shitty before the walkers. Maybe it reminded him of how he'd wanted it to be. There was no chance for it to be different now and the firefly pissed him off so he swatted it away.

Treading lightly, he kept a sharp eye out, ready to drop the wood he'd gathered so far and use the pick-axe he carried or his crossbow. They'd lost Jimmy, Patricia and maybe even Andrea, though she at least had a fighting chance. Once she'd chosen to fight she'd done so ever since. And thank Christ her aim had gotten better. She was probably holed up someplace and he'd already talked to Rick when everyone else had gone to sleep. Contrary to what Rick had said, Daryl convinced him that once they weren't out in the open, once they were someplace truly safe – if a place like that existed, one of them would try to go back, even still that was a big if.

His thoughts rolled on to Carol. _You're every bit as good as them. _How she'd made him feel these past few months, and how he bitched at her the day they'd found her girl. The pain of losing Sophia had been too damn much. Carol wasn't his problem – or shouldn't be yet he knew he'd lied to her there. He had told the truth when he said Sophia hadn't been his. That was why he couldn't deal with or understand the ache in his heart.

"Hell, you don't even have a heart Dixon." He muttered to himself. It was easier staying angry – the only way he knew how to counter any other emotions inside him. Anger was what he'd been taught, all he'd seen his whole life. Yet when he'd walked into Herschel's house yesterday morning there'd been Carol and she'd smiled at him – just a little. How could she forgive so easily?

"Hey." Someone whispered from behind him. He snapped around like a snake and narrowed his eyes, to find Carol holding out his vest and jacket.

"What the fuck Carol? Why you sneakin' up on me like that? I didn't even hear ya - I could-a killed you." His voice came out like a quiet hiss.

"Yeah but you didn't." She whispered, handing him the vest and jacket then stepping back and crossing her arms in front of her chest. He wasn't sure but he thought she might be disappointed that he hadn't.

"Take it back." He demanded, holding them out to her. "All you got's that thin sweater on. Go on, take it."

She rolled her eyes, but did as she was told. "Daryl, I wanna apologize."

He'd already started walking away from her, but stopped. "Apologize?" He asked, turning back around, still listening for walkers or anything else that might be out there.

"I'm sorry that I said you were Rick's henchman. I was just scared." She paused. "We all are. He's countin' on you, trusts you more than he did Shane. I just don't know why you came back for me back there on the farm."

Daryl heaved a deep breath and flung the wood he'd collected on the ground. He knew damn well what she meant. She apologized for the first part of what she'd said earlier, but she still thought of herself as a burden.

He took two steps toward her and she took one back. "Why ya always gotta ask why? Why is it important? Did ya ever stop to think maybe you are too?" He turned his back on her and stooped to pick up the wood he'd thrown. "Damnit."

Carol bent down to help but when he looked up those blue eyes of hers were too dammed close. He hooked his free hand around her elbow. "I got it." His voice came out grated and angry.

She pulled her elbow free of his grasp and stood with the coat and vest over her shoulders. As he watched her, he felt his mouth pull up a little, seeing that it enveloped her and how it stood out compared to the plain clothing she always wore.

She kept it wrapped around her as she helped him gather more deadfall for the fire. "Thanks by the way." She told him as they headed back.

"Wasn't nothin'." He replied, knowing he was lying. "I should" he started, "well I should say sorry for awhile back." Apologizing was not his forte, but he seemed to be doing it an awful lot with Carol lately.

"Hmm." It came out sounding sad and she nodded. "Seems like a lifetime ago."

He kept a sharp eye out as they walked, noticing the glow of the dying fire through the trees ahead. "Still shouldn't a said what I did. It wasn't you're fault. I seen the way you were with her - with Sophia." He hesitated saying her name and almost spilled what was on his mind. Like how he wished his own Mama would've been around to be that way with Merle and him. But every scar on his own body was one less blow his Mama ever had to take, even if she had run off on their daddy and not taken them with her, damn her to hell. His past seemed so far behind him and yet it would surface in a heartbeat given the right circumstance. If he ever lived it down - everything that he'd gone through, it'd be a damned miracle.


	2. A Girl Like Her

The makeshift camp was about five steps through the clearing. He moved through first, putting his hand on her waist, an action totally foreign to him. When she jumped and moved out of his reach, he fumbled, unsure of what to do next. Why had he done that? He wondered dropping his hand quickly. It was just as confusing to him as how he'd felt when he saw her running for her life on the farm the night before. He'd never been afraid of anything like he had been before she'd been safe on the bike with him.

Rick stood, with his hand on his gun as they walked out of the woods and Daryl instinctively stepped in front of Carol. "It's us." He whispered.

He watched Rick like a hawk as they got the fire burning low again, waiting for his chance to ask him how Carol made it into the woods alone to find him.

"She insisted on it." Rick explained later. "She knew what could happen to her if she didn't find you. I told her it was up to her. Next time take her with you. We need to pair up.

Daryl let out a heavy sigh. "Makes sense."

Rick nodded. "I've got Herschel, Beth and Carl. Glenn has Maggie." He hesitated, glancing at his wife who was still sleeping, her arm wrapped around her son. "And I talked to T-Dog about taking Lori, at least for now."

Daryl saw his jaw tense and felt a twinge of relief that he wasn't in the man's shoes.

"I'll scout out the woods near the stream come daylight, might be able to catch some squirrel to cook up for breakfast."

Rick kept his eyes on the woods. "We'll see. We gotta get a move on after that."

"Any idea where?" Daryl asked.

Rick pulled a map out of his back pocket. "I found this in one of the cars on the highway." Pointing out to the road where their caravan of cars were parked. "I was lookin' at it before the fire died. There's a prison up ahead, 'bout a hundred miles. I think it's our best chance for shelter."

"If it's not overrun with walkers. Could be talkin' 'bout more than we dealt with on the farm. Though, we could restock our weapons there. 'Spose we could go in that direction 'till we run out of gas and shack up at the nearest house, maybe find more fuel, or hoof it on foot to scope it out."

"We'll combine what fuel we have left, pack everyone the smaller cars and you and Carol can take the bike."

There he went talkin' about him and Carol again. Daryl bit his tongue. When he turned around there she was holding out her blanket. He grabbed it, a little too roughly, but it made her lips turn up. That was fine because he hadn't seen much smiling from her in weeks and under the circumstances it was a welcome sight.

"Rick, I wanna apologize to you too. I heard what you said about goin' to that prison. I think we should try. Anything's better than the group exposed like this out here."

Rick only nodded, sharp lines of stress showing in his features. With that Carol took the blanket back, placed it over Daryl's shoulders and walked back to the fire.

When morning light broke, the group mainly stayed around what was left of the fire, sadness and fear hanging thick in the air. Daryl had only dozed for maybe an hour but when he woke up he'd be damned if Carol hadn't taken off again. He glanced at Lori, the closest person to him.

"Where the hell's Carol?"

Lori hugged Carl close, as he was still sleeping and pointed down the path to the stream. "I can see her from here. She's fine."

Daryl got up in one quick movement, pulled his crossbow over his shoulders and stalked down the path.

Carol sat with her back to him, feet in the water, pants rolled up to her knees. Before she could turn around he was beside her.

"Will ya quit wanderin' off on 'yer own? Wha'd you have a death wish woman? 'Yer gettin' to be as bad as that boy of Rick's."

She glanced up at him with her blue eyes, showing him that she was unaffected by his brazenness. Looking over her shoulder she gave Lori a brief wave, which Lori returned. "I told Lori where I was goin'."

"Damnit, you heard Rick last night. You an' I need to stick together."

She stood then facing him. "Daryl. I'm fine. I didn't wanna wake you. You barely slept at all and we need to eat somethin'."

"And just what do you think 'yer gonna do?" He practically yelled, wincing inside at how harsh he knew he sounded. His ol' man's voice boomed out of him and each time he heard himself sound like him he cursed the day he was born.

Reaching down into the water she pulled out a string of six catfish, a few of them good sized.

"What the hell?"

"I found some fishing line caught up in the bushes and a few hooks around in these rocks. Might go good with some of those squirrels you caught." She said, picking the fishing line off the pole she'd put together.

"I ain't caught any squirrels." Daryl said, bewildered by her sudden burst of empowerment.

She moved closer to him and hooked the row of fish into his hand. "We better get huntin'."

While Maggie and Lori cooked the fish, Daryl had the pleasure of being trailed throughout the nearby woods by Carol. "I wanna learn how to shoot." She said quietly, from behind him as he aimed an arrow at a plump gray squirrel. Once he'd pinned the creature to an oak tree, he pulled the arrow out and strung it up on his rope. He'd already killed three.

Ignoring the fact that she was stuck to him like sap on a tree wasn't easy but he tried. No time to teach her now. "Gonna have to watch." He told her. "Once we get somewhere safe we'll see."

The leaves ahead of them began rustling and Daryl quickly loaded another arrow. "Stay behind me, keep watch, there may be more."

"How do you know it's one of them?" She whispered.

"Don't matter." He said in a low tone. "A live person's just as dangerous at this point. Maybe more so." He kept his arrow trained on the spot where the leaves kept swaying. Neither of them was prepared for the sight that stumbled out of the thick brush not more than twenty feet in front of them.

It was a girl, or had been and she was about Sophia's age. He reached out for Carol with one hand before she even let out the cry that he knew was coming.

She had dark stringy hair, milky eyes and viscous black stains bleeding through her night gown where she'd been bit. Her right arm was bent at an odd angle. He heard Carol choke back a sob before he even made the shot.

"Hey." He said shaking her, his arm still around her waist. "I need your eyes. Do ya see anymore around?" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, glancing all over the woods and managed to swallow. "No. Don't see nothin'."

The walker girl had gone down easily and she'd been alone. Carol bent over, her hands on her knees and he couldn't help himself. It'd been too damned close to the scene at the barn, beautiful Sophia shuffling out all over again, dead eyes adjusting to the bright light. From the way his hands were shaking, he realized the familiarity had affected him as much as her.

A lump worked its way into his throat. "Hey, hey." He said, his voice nearly breaking. He pulled her up to where she would look at him, her face inches from his. "I need to get that arrow. Stay behind me and keep watch. You don't haveta look."

When she didn't move, tears brimming in her eyes, he figured on composing himself too. His arm felt so damned good around her waist and he thought it wouldn't hurt to take a second before getting the arrow. Before he knew what he'd done, he put his other arm around her and she laid her head in the divot of his shoulder and breast bone for a brief moment. It felt as strange as the night she'd leaned in and kissed his bandaged head weeks ago. Like he wanted to pull away and yet hold on tighter as each second ticked on by.

They parted quickly with Carol wiping at her eyes the way she always did. "Sorry. I'm fine."

Daryl grunted in response, but held tight to her hand as they went to get the arrow. "Four squirrels will have to do it. Huntin' trip's over." He sniffed, wiped at his nose and kept a hold of her hand as they walked back to camp.


	3. Summer Camp

He let her keep his jacket and vest on while they rode despite her argument that he'd get chilled and probably end up with pneumonia before the trip was over. Grumbling, he obliged when T-Dog came over with a long sleeved shirt.

"Don't like long sleeves." He griped loudly. "We Dixon's don't get sick neither. Look at Merle? Sawed off his own hand, cauterized it and stole that utility van."

The group watched his outburst, unsure of what to say. Carol stood ready to climb on the bike, her arms crossed in front of her. He didn't know why he'd mentioned his brother, but after the experience in the woods with the girl walker, it brought Merle back to his mind. Where was Merle now? He fought off the conflicting emotions as to why he really cared.

"What the hell's everyone staring at? Let's take this parade to the street."

Carol's arms were latched onto him for dear life and he wondered before last night if she had ever hopped on back of a bike. He hadn't ever ridden double, hadn't been on a bike until Merle'd stolen this one. And he'd only driven it around when Merle wasn't there to bitch him out. It fit him though, felt natural for him to be on it.

The sky darkened ahead and cooler air blew in on the breeze. He glanced down and managed to pull the sleeves of his coat over Carol's clenched hands. Rain scented air hit his nostrils.

"Shit." He muttered over the loud motor. They'd barely covered fifty miles. Carol laid her head on his back and he realized she was pressing herself into him to keep him warmer. Why'd she have to care about him so much? He could ask himself the same damn question when it came to her. Grunting the thoughts away, he revved the engine, gliding the bike up past the two cars they'd taken. Rick rolled down his window and pointed to a clearing in the trees along the road.

"A summer camp?" Rick asked, slowing down to a stop so they could talk for a minute.

"Looks like rain." Daryl said watching the sky. "We could check it out and see what we can scavenge, maybe spend the night if we have to."

Rick leaned his elbow on the window sill of the car and rubbed his thumb across his mouth, thinking. "Alright." He said after a moment. "But none of us have much ammunition left."

Daryl patted his crossbow and satchel. "Got plenty, let's check it out 'fore the rain hits."

The mess hall wasn't too far from the road, which wasn't a good thing. The chimney was visible. Smoke would easily be spotted by any living refugee who came along the back route, not that they'd come across any survivors since that bastard, Randall.

Daryl pulled Lori aside as she climbed out of the back of the last car with T-Dog. He hoped Carol wouldn't hear him. "I needa favor. Can ya keep Carol near ya when we scout this place out? We had a scare back there while huntin' up breakfast, kid walker. This bein' a summer camp and all, just never know."

Lori put her hand on her hip. "Anything is a welcome distraction. Sure Daryl." She made her way over to Carol.

Rick and Daryl treaded through the moist grass down the hill with their weapons drawn. Lori, Carl, Carol, Herschel, Beth and Maggie sandwiched themselves in the middle with T-Dog and Glenn taking up the rear with their rifles.

The large red building loomed ahead of them but it looked undisturbed. The heavy door was open, with the screen door closed. Daryl took a peek inside through the mesh. "Don't see any movement."

"That doesn't mean anything. Those things go into some kind of suspended animation when they're trapped. They smell food, they come to life." Rick said.

Daryl grunted. "Seems that way."

They whipped the screen door open. The mess hall was a huge, clean open space with a shiny hard wood floor. When the sickness hit, this place was probably getting ready to open. To the left, a large stone fireplace spanned the wall, which was what they'd seen from the outside of the building. Rick covered the right side of the area, where there looked to be a kitchen. Daryl took the left, tripping on the old handspun rug that laid in front it. He reached out and firmly grasped the mantel, while the rest of the group stepped through the doorway. "Glenn, T-Dog, keep watch at the door." He hollered, pissed and hoping no one had seen.

Past the fire place in the very corner stood a small door marked "Office", which was closed. He could hear the sound of buzzing flies inside. As he edged closer, the stench hit him.

"Fuck". He muttered, wondering whether the person or persons inside were dead or – not.

He pulled his shirt up over his nose and kicked the door open with his crossbow ready, but lowered it when he saw that the owner, a middle aged man was slumped over on his desk with a gun in his hand. Daryl assumed he'd opted out, until the thing started to move and came up off the desk staring at him blankly, a fly crawling out of his mouth. "Double fuck." Daryl cursed, bringing the bow up and quickly finishing him off.

"Everythin' alright?" Rick yelled from the kitchen.

"Guess so." Daryl said, scanning the rest of the small space, and then closing the door. "Got one to dispose of in here. How bout you?"

Rick appeared in the doorway. "Kitchen's stocked with dry goods. All clear my way. Looks like we lucked out."

"Don't speak too soon." Daryl said, walking back and ushering everyone to the kitchen to see what Rick had found.

Rick motioned to him as they all went through the doors. "We need to check out the back. I'll take T-Dog and you and Glenn stay here with everyone else.

Daryl nodded knowing he trusted him to keep a sharp eye on the group.

He stood at the door and listened to the chatter in the kitchen, Lori and Carol raiding the cupboards. "A hand pump. Looks like we have water." Carol was saying. "Potato flakes, cherry pie filling, apple pie filling, and just about every canned vegetable you can imagine. We hit the jackpot."

He smiled to himself just knowing she was happy for the moment. The memory of this morning vanished, hopefully. Though for him it was as clear as ever.

It took about fifteen minutes and Daryl walked to the back door, instructing Glenn to take his place at the entrance of the kitchen. He scanned the back yard. The hill continued downward. Directly below was a smaller brick-red sided building that matched the mess hall. Bathrooms and showers he guessed. Over to the left was a house. It matched the rest of the buildings. The camp barracks must be out past the bathroom, he thought, growing antsy not being able to be out there checking things out for himself.

Rick and T-Dog appeared coming from the house carrying boxes. Daryl quickly walked out on the front porch, which spanned the entire building, just to make sure that area was clear before he got talkin' to Rick about what he and T-Dog had found. They were going to have to hide their vehicles and ready them for a quick getaway if need be.

"What the hell's goin' on down there?" He asked as the men walked through the back door.

"Got us some clothes. Bathhouse is below us. Runs on solar power if you can imagine that. We can all get showers in the morning." Rick told him.

"Looks like camp's beyond the bathhouse. Leads out to a lake." T-Dog chimed in.

"Yeah, Camp fuckin' Crystal Lake." Daryl retorted.

T-Dog actually chuckled. "We think we found the generator. You wanna go with Rick to get it up and running? I can hold down the fort here."

Daryl nodded and left with Rick. Not long before they reached the corner of the building, Rick stopped. "Somethin's not right here Daryl. There were dead people in the house down there." He gestured to the place barely twenty yards from where they were standing by the corner of the mess hall. "They'd turned but only after they'd been hacked up. And I'm not talking a hacked up mess I'm talking parts of them - taken away."

"What the hell?" Daryl inquired fiddling with the wiring system. "You're talkin' like live people came and killed them, and then they turned?"

Rick looked like he was gonna be sick and nodded. "Does look like it happened awhile back."

"We talkin' weeks or months?" Daryl asked.

"Could be a month or so. We put 'em down."

Daryl kept his focus. "Well that settles it. We stay here tonight, pack up some shit and start out again tomorrow." Cool rain began to hit him in the neck. One thing was for sure, he wasn't letting Carol out of his sight.

Something buzzed and the generator whirred to life. "Looks like we got power for now." Daryl told him.

He and Rick walked in to claps and cheers. Carol eyed him and a smile lifted her lips. He walked right over to her. He wanted to say what was on his mind, that her smile was part of what made him feel worthwhile these days. That was the only thing that made sense to him, but all he could do was return the smile – a little.

The ovens were fired up and Carol, Lori, Maggie and Beth went to work cooking "the last supper" as they'd come to think of every dinner. It was a joke between them, but Daryl Dixon had more of a will to live and keep the people he cared about alive then he ever thought possible. He just had to figure out how to do it.


	4. The Exchange

Just before dinner T-Dog helped him take the dead man out of the office and haul him down to the house.

"That's just messed UP." T-Dog told him, pointing to the two teenage walkers strapped to a bed. There were two more in the next room, same thing. Rick had been right; they'd been killed by people, not walkers. The man in the office had a bite on his arm and had been infected. Daryl figured when the fever hit him, he'd gone in the office but he'd never been able to pull the trigger.

"Could've been one of them that bit him or maybe there's one wandering by. Hard tellin'."

T-Dog shook his head, adjusting the do-rag over his nose. "All I know is I don't wanna stay here too long."

"Don't have to argue that one with me." The place had enough to keep them going for awhile but it'd be best to move on as soon as they got stocked up. "I thought I'd seen it all with the walkers. We'll pack the cars tonight with all we can, food, the clothing, campin' gear and any weapons we can find."

T-Dog nodded and they started back up the hill. He caught sight of Carol in the doorway, her plate in her hand. When he met her eyes, she retreated back into the mess hall.

He and T-Dog were met at the door with platefuls of food – Tuna and noodles in some kind of sauce and fresh biscuits. He felt a deep rumble roll up from the pit of his stomach when he smelled it.

"I thought you might be hungry." Carol mused, looking more at Daryl than T-Dog.

He took a few bites on the way to the table, where she took a seat next to him with her own plate which had much less on it than his. Elbowing her lightly, he whispered, "You need ta eat more."

She glanced at him, pink bringing out the freckles that dusted her cheeks. "This is enough for me. I've always eaten like a bird."

He grumbled and focused on his own plate, though he did notice she finished every crumb, and even put honey on her biscuit.

After dinner, the leftovers were packed away and most of the dry goods stored in the trunks of the cars. Breakfast was prepared in advance for morning. He was waiting for Carol to question him as to why they weren't making this more of a longer stay when Lori brought it up to the group as a whole, as she was still avoiding Rick.

Only Rick, T-Dog and Daryl knew what lay beyond them in the house down below. Daryl cleared his throat. "Place's too close to the road." He gestured to Rick, "The prison is an hour up the road. We got food, more fuel, camping gear now, we can get close and scope it out."

Rick chimed in. "I think it's important to find a place that's more secure."

Herschel wiped his mouth, "The farm's gone and now I'm headed to the big house. Never thought I'd say that."

His joke earned a giggle from Maggie and Glenn and a meek smile from Beth. Daryl wondered if the old man had found some booze somewhere, but was just as grateful to be off the subject.

The sun had been setting earlier each day, and the rainy air grew cold. It was nice to be able to build an actual fire in the fire place, rather than having to be outdoors, having to control the flames. Soon the room was cozy. Leaving the lights down low and the windows covered, they started going through the boxes and dividing up the clothes. Daryl wound up with two pairs of cargo pants and he, Glenn and Hershel split the shirts. T-Dog ended up with new boots and a hoodie. The girls were in the kitchen going through their things and he didn't like being that far away from Carol. But she let the door swing open soon enough looking completely uncomfortable in a pair of jeans that hugged her curves, a black long sleeved shirt, a gray fleece vest and black hiking boots.

Blood pumped through his veins traveling at warp speed. He had to think twice as to whether his mouth had hit the floor or not. T-Dog nudged him, grinning. Glenn had noticed too.

"Shut-up." He told them as quietly as he could but he knew she heard him as she sat indian style near them.

"What?" She asked the three of them, exasperated. "I know I'm too old to wear clothes like this."

Glenn and T-Dog started shaking their heads, "No, no Carol, you look – wow." Glenn said.

Daryl shot him a dirty look and stole a long glance at her while she was distracted. He tried to stop imagining what could've been for her if not for the walkers taking over the world, if not for Ed. She had an elegance about her he hadn't noticed before and she was built like a brick shit house to boot. She'd hidden herself for far too long under them frumpy clothes.

"Well, anyone else ready for a treat?" Lori said, eyeing Rick, who stood near the door. He had his arm wrapped around Carl but let him go to Lori with a quick nudge. She held a huge bag of marshmallows. Beth and Maggie came out next and they all sat around the fireplace while Rick made a sweep of the large space.

In the large wash area next to the kitchen they'd found a few pillows and more blankets. It seemed close to midnight when the last person finally sacked out. Daryl and Glenn were on watch, Daryl at the front, Glenn at the back. In a few hours Rick and T-Dog would relieve them.

He walked out onto the porch, noticing the rain had passed and the stars were out. The crossbow sat balanced between his legs and he took a rag out of his back pocket, ready to wipe it down. Within a minute or two Carol joined him on the steps, wrapping his jacket and vest around his shoulders. She left enough space between the two of them but not enough to keep his cheeks from flushing red. Thank Christ it was dark out.

He murmured, "Thanks" and began waxing the bow string. "Found some paraffin wax in the pantry."

She set down a fresh mug of instant coffee. "Thought you might need this to stay awake till Rick takes over."

He glanced at her sideways. "You still blame him."

She twisted her whole body to look at him questioningly and then sighed. "I'll never get over the fact that he left her, but nothin's gonna change the fact that she's gone. He's got his own guilt and demons to deal with. Do you blame him?" She asked.

Daryl stopped his ritual for a moment and stared out into the yard. "No. I just know that if it'd been me, I'da brought her back." It may've been cocky of him to think like that. He had a lot of respect for Rick, he just knew if he had been on her trail just a little bit sooner she'd be alive today.

"I believe that Daryl." She told him quietly, gazing up at the stars. "And I believe I'll see her again. My little girl's waiting for me."

Daryl froze. He didn't like hearing her talk like that. They'd watched her at the farm for weeks after Sophia's death, hopin' she wouldn't do herself in. How could he change the subject? "It's ah, strange lookin' up in the sky and not seein' any planes flyin' over blinkin their lights."

She pulled her sleeves over her hands, and he sighed and took off his coat and vest and put it over her shoulders.

"I brought them out for you."

"Don't argue with me. I got long sleeves on, see?" He felt a smile pullin' at his mouth and stopped it in mid curve.

"I used to count the planes that'd fly by when I'd lay out at night in the court yard where I worked."

"Where did you work?"

"Foundry. Maintenance, I know shocking, Daryl Dixon had a job before the fuckin' apocalypse." When she didn't act shocked and seemed like she was waiting for him to say more, he shrugged. "Someone had ta keep food on the table and support Merle's drug habit. Worked twelve hour days, swing shifts, but on break I'd head to the roof, or the courtyard as I called it. Had flowers and shit up there. Hell wound up seein' more shooting stars than planes. Used to think I'd fly one someday - plane that is."

Sadness marked her features. "Funny how everything up there has just kept goin', unbeknown of what's happening down here."

He gave another sideways glance and saw the way the jeans hugged her calves, letting his eyes move up.

"What you lookin' at Daryl? I know I ain't no beauty queen."

He shifted, uneasy, ready to bolt up the hill or head inside if she got mad.

"You wanna know why my hair's so short? Actually it's just startin' to grow back in." She said, running her fingers through it. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with uterine cancer."

He felt his heart stop, couldn't breathe 'till she went on to tell him she was cured – that it was okay.

"Most people thought I kept it short cause of Ed. That was a plus let me tell ya." She laughed, but it sounded unnatural.

"I always liked your hair like that."

A smile came to her lips but she continued quickly. "Only a few people knew, I never told Sophia. She stayed with Ed's mom when I had surgery. It was then they told me I was only in stage one. I needed a few rounds of chemo which was hell. If you ever thought what we're livin' now is, try that, but it went away and I'm prayin' it doesn't come back." She rocked back and forth with her hands on her knees, clearly uncomfortable talkin' about it.

It made him feel even worse for anytime he ever got in her face. She'd had to deal with the abuse, protecting her daughter and a major illness. And now when normally he'd be starin' off into the sky or the distance he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

"See, it shoulda been me in that barn." Her voice shook. "She had her whole life ahead of her and she was healthy."

"No." Daryl whispered; his damned voice cracking. "It's not right she's gone, but I don't know what I'd do if you were too."

Her eyes fastened on his. He didn't know how to do it, or what it was pulling him toward her but it felt like some kinda crazy gravity, like a drug. He placed the palm of his hand between them on the steps, knowing she was watching his every move, feeling his every shake without even touching him. He leaned closer and saw the worry in her eyes.

"Please, don't feel sorry for me." She whispered.

"I don't feel sorry for no one." He whispered back and that was the damned truth.

He moved closer, unsure of what would happen next. Would she laugh at him? Get up and walk away? Would she slap him? If she did he'd had worse happen to him.

"Daryl." The words barely left her lips and he settled his on hers. They were soft and warm and she tasted like a toasted marshmallow.

His first kiss lasted for about fifteen seconds. He counted. And afterwards she stood up and put his coat back over his shoulders. Before she walked through the door he heard her say, "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

When she closed the door he resumed his watch and prepping his bow, his heart beating wild inside him. "I can't say I am either."


	5. Morning Chaos

He watched the sun come up from the doorway, behind Rick who sat on the front porch steps. "We'd better get everyone rounded up, fed and showered." Daryl suggested quietly.

Glenn and Maggie were stirring and in a minute or two, she came to the door with her arms folded. "You think Glenn and I can go first before my Dad wakes up? I promise we'll be quick."

Rick stood and walked to the doorway, handing Daryl the cold cup of coffee he'd had left out there.

"Separate showers." Rick told them. "Glenn, take a rifle with you. Keep watch of the woods and keep quiet. Maggie, you go first, take this and watch for Glenn." He pulled a bolo knife in wrapped in a sheath from his belt. "It's one Dale had in the R.V."

"What didn't that man keep in his R.V.?" Glenn asked sadly.

The two retreated through the back door and down the steps and Daryl glanced at the rest of the group crashed out near the fire place.

Scanning the woods, he had the urge to go hunting but that would have to wait. Maggie and Glenn returned quickly and T-Dog, Lori and Carl went next. One minute Carol was asleep huddled in her sleeping bag, the next she was bringing he and Rick coffee. "Drink it this time. You didn't get much sleep last night." She told him.

_Yeah no kiddin'_. He thought, mumbling thanks and wondering what she was thinking. She certainly hadn't had any trouble sleepin', like he had. Once Rick had taken over his post out front, Daryl'd leaned against the wall dozing on and off, watching her. And the more he thought about what she'd said, the more pissed off and embarrassed he got. Had the kiss sucked for her? He decided he didn't care. It wouldn't happen again, he promised himself. Not that he could avoid her but it was back to business, he couldn't afford to get all pussy-fied.

"We're after Rick, Herschel and Beth. Hope there's enough hot water left." She said, sipping her own coffee.

"It's a huge tank, I'm sure there'll be." He frowned, avoiding her eyes, meaning to walk away from her, but instead took a huge gulp of the hot coffee. That proved to be a mistake as it scalded his throat, but he swallowed and let the pain pass.

"You okay?" She asked.

All he could do was shake his head. How the hell did she do it? Couldn't hide nothin' from her. It fucking hurt, but he wasn't gonna tell her that. "I'm fine." He grumbled. "Why don't you get your shit around. Somethin' warm for the ride later."

Finally their turn rolled around and they hiked it down through the thick, dewy grass. The scent of the scrubby pines that grew around the camp hit his nostrils, making him want to check out in the woods and hunt even worse. He carried his crossbow this morning and she carried the bolo knife that Rick had given to Maggie earlier.

"It's a heavy son-of-a bitch but it'll get the job done if need be."

She eyed him as they walked. "Hey Daryl, about last night."

"I don't wanna talk about it." He interrupted, anger lacing his tone.

"I mean what I talked to you about. I don't want the group to know. Can we keep it between us?"

He spared a glance her way. Her blue eyes screamed desperation. A wave of nausea rocked through him at the thought that she might be sick again and he tried to speak calmly. "You feelin' alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine now and I've been fine."

"There any special meds you were taking before all this happened?" That was one thing he wondered after she'd gone back inside.

"No, just multi-vitamins really, and I was 'sposed to get check-ups every six months." They stopped on the concrete slab in front of the shower door. "If anything comes up, you'll be the first to know. Does that make you feel better?"

He grunted his response. It didn't really. "You go first." Sensing her hesitation, the way she just stood there staring at him, he shooed her in. "Go on, I ain't no peepin' tom. Jesus."

She gave him a smile that made him _want_ to be a peepin' tom and took her clothes into the huge outdoor shower area with her. He could hear her start the water and soon steam was billowing out around his ankles. "This is heavenly." She whispered to him, and then started humming a familiar tune. He was trying to watch an area in the trees and brush that seemed off in color, when he remembered where he'd heard the song before. His mama used to sing it, an old Carly Simon song, "Comin' Around Again." and Carol was right in key.

He shivered, wishing she'd hurry up. He didn't wanna think about that shit, how his Mama would sing the "I believe in love" part real loud. Sure as shit she believed in love. Believed in it so much that she fucked around on the old man with her boss and then left him and Merle for dead.

"Where'd ya get the towels and shampoo? That house?" She whispered through the door. She didn't wait for his answer. "I'm done. Just need to get dressed, it won't take long."

Squinting, he barely heard her as the strange colored shape in the forest moved closer. His heart began thumping. In fact now it took on the shape of a person, a walker. "Carol." He whispered. "Hurry the fuck up."

"I'm comin'. Just gotta tie my boot. What's going on Daryl?"

Walkers didn't stand in the woods and watch. The hairs raised on his arms. But the thing looked like one. He, held his bow upright, aiming, hoping for a clean shot, which was when he saw the other one, to the left, further back in the woods.

"Carol stay the fuck in there." He commanded, backing into the door to keep her in.

He aimed quickly for the one on the right and hit him, a clean shot near the temple, but heard a distinct cry before he hit the ground.

"Fuck, Carol, they ain't walkers. We gotta get you up to the mess hall - now." He yelled, reaching in, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out of there. Her hair was wet and spiky; she had on the black hikers, that pair of hip hugging jeans, a white henley and thick lime zip up green sweater. If they'd had the time he woulda gawked, but he knew he had to keep his head, he had to keep her safe. There was still one more out there.

She surprised him by keeping pace with him as they ran up the hill. "Jesus woman, you a track star or what?" He managed to joke, but it kept her goin'.

She took the steps two at a time and at the door, he pushed her in. "Stay put. I mean it and let Rick know what's goin' on. Tell him to stay here with the group.

He was vaguely aware of Glenn poking his face out and yellin' for him as he took off back down the hill. Once he was behind the shower, he slid to the end and readied his bow, poking his head around the corner slowly.

He heard Carol yellin' down to him, somethin' 'bout shit goin' on up there, but she sounded more afraid for him bein' down there. He put a finger to his lips and disappeared around the building.

It'd been a man. He reached the place where he'd fallen. He was covered in rot, reminding him of when Glenn had told him about Atlanta when he and Rick had covered themselves in walker guts to disguise their scent. Their trail looked easy enough to follow. Innocent or not, he didn't feel bad about the kill. What the hell was he 'sposed to do when they come sneakin' up in the woods watchin' them like that? He was willin' to bet they'd been the same assholes who'd hacked up the people in that house.

The woods grew thick and wet as it had soaked up the rain from the day before, making it easy to see their tracks and where they led to. He knew the group was waiting to leave but he needed to make sure they weren't followed. If they were to set up camp somewhere tonight, he had to make sure it was safe.


	6. Trackin'

**Sorry for the delay, meant to post this last night but needed to polish it up, and I ended up falling asleep, but here is Chapter 7. I can't say it enough; you all are being so nice in your reviews! LOVE these two so much! 3 Kat**

Carol was half scared out of her mind watching him run off into the woods half cocked the way he did. Other people could be just as dangerous as the walkers, and he was out there alone.

There'd been commotion at the front of the mess hall when he'd pushed her through the back door. Rick had his gun aimed out the front door and was shouting for everyone to get back. She needed to tell him where Daryl went, but seconds later she saw him backing up and letting someone in – Andrea!

The group rushed to her to look her over. She appeared to be in shock, worn out and hungry. But what stood on the front porch was a completely different story. Over Rick's shoulder she saw a hooded figure with horribly disfigured walkers chained to her, one on each side. The person pulled the hood back just a little; it was a woman with eyes as brown as oak leaves.

"Don't kill the walkers with her. That's how we made it this far." Andrea pleaded, sounding like she barely had any strength left in her.

"Rick." Carol tapped him on the shoulder, knowing it was now or never. "We have a situation. There were people out back. Daryl shot one and took off into the woods." She was shaking. "He can't go out on his own. These people were posing as walkers."

He looked at the hooded figure. "How did you know about this place?"

"Rick." Carol pleaded.

He held up his arm for her to wait, but she wasn't about to wait. She had the bolo knife in her hand and started for the back door.  
"Wait." The hooded lady said loudly, stopping her in her tracks. "He's gone onto their land."

Carol walked back with her arms crossed ready to bolt as soon as she got the okay, and even if she didn't. "What do you mean 'their'? Who are 'they'?"

"Have you found the bodies in the house?" The stranger asked.

"Bodies?" Lori asked looking at Rick. "Walkers?"

Rick sighed, clearly pissed.

"There are four tied up below." The stranger stated.

"Yeah, we took care of them." Rick admitted, his jaw twitching.

The stranger seemed unaffected by the news. Lori bolted up from the Andrea's side. "Tied up? Rick when are you gonna stop keeping things from us? That's why you didn't want to stay here any longer than we had to, isn't it?"

The hooded figure stepped through the door, the walker's chains dragging through.

"That's far enough." Rick holding his gun out to stop her.

"Her name is Michonne." Andrea told him. "And I wouldn't be alive now if it weren't for her."

Carol went to Andrea, not intending to make it a long conversation. "I'm sorry, I really am. I wouldn't be here if I weren't for you." She touched her shoulder. "When I saw that walker fall on you, there were too many comin' and - "

"Carol, its okay. It was a nightmare but I'm still in one piece."

Carol shook her head, turning toward Rick. "I left Andrea and have felt awful about it. We're not leaving Daryl. I'm not leaving him out there."

"You're dealing with cannibals, you do know that?" Michonne asked.

"Cannibals?" Carol put a hand to her heart, tears springing to her eyes. "I heard Daryl say they were dressed like walkers."

"It's how they pass by them, same as I do." Michonne told them.

Rick tensed. "How many are we talking? Obviously you know this area more than we do."

She nodded, backing up to pick up a massive samurai sword that she'd left on the front porch. The group exchanged glances and holy shits.

"At least four." She told Rick. "I'll track him down."

Before anyone could argue or decide, she walked out the door, the walkers following awkwardly behind.

Carol knew she wouldn't get past Rick so she tucked the bolo knife into her pants and flew out the back door, ignoring the protests from the others.

She waited the few seconds it took for Michonne to appear around the corner of the building. "I'm going with you."

Michonne stopped, oddly the walkers did too.

"I have this." She showed her the knife.

The lady looked as though she might have laughed. Carol was tired of being the burden. "Look. I'll hold my own. When you get to him, he's a shoot first, ask questions later kinda guy. If I'm there he'll listen to me."

"If they don't have him strung up and gutted." Michonne told her bluntly and Carol almost gagged.

"Look, he's trying to protect our group."

"He's your man I assume." Michonne questioned, continuing down the hill.

Carol tried to stear clear of the chained walkers. Their jaw's and teeth were gone, leaving gaping holes in their faces, and their arms had been removed as well, but she didn't want to be near them. "In a way." Carol said eyeing the woman she could barely see under the hood.

Michonne laughed. "Thought so, you know most people these days don't risk their ass for nothing."

"I lost my little girl. He risked everything to find her. I won't leave him out here."

"And your girl?"

Carol swallowed. "She's dead."

Michonne stopped at the edge of the woods, looking down at the dead man that Daryl had taken down. She lingered there for a moment before moving on.

She didn't expect any sympathy from the strange woman, as it was obvious that she'd been through her share of heartache.

They tracked his boot prints through the damp forest for nearly an hour, the sun filtered through the trees sometimes playing tricks on her. She swore she'd seen his tan shirt and crossbow a dozen times.

Beyond a row of pines was a small blue house with old asbestos siding on it that reminded her of her grandparent's house.

She felt Michonne push on her shoulder. "Keep your knife ready and listen, just be aware of everything."

They ducked behind the bushes adjacent to the side of the house. Michonne pushed her walkers off to the side behind a huge oak tree. "This is their home base."

Carol stared at her and back at the house. "That place? It looks like Betty Crocker owns it." She whispered.

Michonne shook her head, running her finger along her sword. "Well that Betty Crocker ain't cookin' up no tea and crumpets. You ever killed anyone living before?"

Carol's answer was quick. "No." How could such a thing make her feel inadequate?

"A walker?"

"My - " She stopped. "Sophia's father. Don't know if that counts because he hadn't come back yet." She knew she had to become stronger, hold her own. There was no time like the present. She ran her fingers along the dull edge of the knife and readied herself to use it to save Daryl. His boot tracks stopped right where they were.

Michonne pointed. "He could of gone either way."

Carol put her fingers to the bed of leaves on her side and felt the earth underneath. "Here, he went this way." She would've taken a moment to smile because she figured it out, but he was still nowhere in sight.

Just then the front door opened and a normal, middle aged woman came out on the front porch.

"Pete! Oh, Petey!" She yelled through her cupped hands.

An arrow appeared at top speed, flying out of the woods in front of the house and hit the woman directly between the eyes. She collapsed in a heap across the stair railing before tumbling over.

Daryl appeared out of nowhere sneaking along the line of the yard, making his way over to where they were; only he didn't see them until he almost tripped over her. She didn't think she'd ever felt more relief in her life seeing him alive.


	7. Surprises

**Sorry for the delay, meant to post this last night but needed to polish it up, and I ended up falling asleep, but here is Chapter 7. Again, I can't say it enough; you all are being so nice in your reviews! LOVE these two so much! 3 Kat**

"What the fuck?" He ducked down in front of her. "Carol holy fuckin' hell. You can't be here, these people they - " Then he spotted the woman in the cape and pulled his knife out of his pocket. "What the hell's goin' on here?"

Carol didn't look like she was hurt, but he didn't have time to figure things out before the ring leader stepped out of the house. He had fresh blood all over his clothes, his gun loaded, and his jowls wiggled as he looked in both directions before spotting the woman Daryl'd just killed.

The burly man let out an angry yowl and turned to go back inside. Before his hand made it to the door knob, Daryl threw his knife, having no time to load the bow. When he stood up, the man was tumbling in the same direction as the woman but two knives protruded from his skull.

Carol glanced at him holding a hand to her stomach and promptly turned around to throw up.

The hooded chick stood on the other side of Carol holding a huge samurai sword lookin' amused. "Your woman just made her first kill. Kind of."

"Who the fuck are you?" Daryl asked ready to fight if need be. After all he'd seen in the past few hours his body was full of adrenaline and still primed.

Carol reached for and found his arm to balance herself. "This is Michonne. She brought Andrea back to the group."

Stepping around Carol, but still letting her hold onto him to regain her composure, he faced Michonne. "You knew where to find me. You track?"

Michonne pulled her hood back a little and said, "I do."

"What the hell do you know 'bout this place?"

"I know what they do here. But you killed them, you and your woman."

Daryl stepped closer feeling the scowl on his face. "Not all of 'em. One left, but he ain't in there." He stooped to look Carol in the face, placing his hand on her back without thinking. "You okay?"

"Alright, come on, that's it, stand up." He had a hold of her arm, careful not to hurt her, but he knew he needed to get them out of there and himself into the house before the last one showed up. He'd spotted him wanderin' around the forest while following their trail back to this hell hole.

When the strange woman with Carol moved, he noticed the chains and where they led to. "Shit lady." He said aiming his bow at the geeks she'd hidden.

"Daryl." Carol's voice was full of warning and she stepped in front of the bow. "Don't. They can't hurt you."

"Carol get the hell out of my way."

The lady Carol had called Michonne held up her sword, readying for a fight.

"It's how she gets by the walkers." Carol told him standing her ground.

Daryl smirked, scared outta his mind, scared that Carol had come this far to get him with this wacko straight out of a sci-fi movie, scared that she'd just made her first kill and the person had been alive, not a walker, afraid of someone new with walkers chained to her.

"And these freaks I've been after this morning' were taking people, killin' them and eatin' them. They walked around just like her disguising their scent. How much do we know about her?"

"We know she brought Andrea back. Put your bow down." She instructed, reaching out and gently helping him lower it. He was shaking and his fears were comin' through. They'd think he was a pussy. Both of them.

Yanking away from her, he dropped his crossbow to his side. "If yu'll excuse me, I'm 'bout to go hide out in there." He pointed to the house. "When the last one comes back, I'll take care of him. I don't want those walkin' circus acts in there either." He said pointing to Michonne's walkers.

"They stay with me." Michonne stated calmly. "I will go back to your group and let them know Carol is with you. If we don't see you by tomorrow morning, I will bring your leader and his men to find you."

Daryl shook his head. "You take Carol with you. Back to the group."

Carol walked in front of him. He couldn't believe she was getting in his face - again. "Daryl, no, really. I came out all this way – let me help you."

"I don't want your damned help." He came close to yellin' and if the last one was nearby, he didn't want him to come after them. "You're safer with the group at camp and she can get ya back to them."

"You're tellin' me I can't take care of myself?" Her hands went to her hips. "I'd say I did a pretty good job just a few minutes ago."

Michonne stepped in. "She was determined to come with me. She even knew which way you went from this spot. I'd say she's got a knack for tracking if you took the time to show her."

Daryl paced for a second, knowing they were runnin' out of time. For all he knew while they stood their arguing, the last one could be ten feet away with that shot gun ready to blow them all away to kingdom fuck and then dine on their entrails.

"Fuck it." He took a hold of Carol's hand and waved Michonne away. "Go." He told her, pulling Carol over to the bodies. "We gotta move 'em."

"Carry them?" She asked looking at the nearly three hundred pound man that lay in the dirt.

"We can move the lattice and push them under the steps here." He pointed.

She yanked on the cheap wood and it popped free while he retrieved the knives and arrow. It took all her strength, he noticed but she pulled her sleeves up and pushed with him and soon they had the two bodies into the dark crawlspace.

After that she wiped her hands together making a face.

Daryl chuckled. "You think that was nasty you should see some of the house."

Her eyes opened wide. "You've been inside? How?"

Her hand felt not only warm but sticky when he took it in his and he helped her up the steps. "I'll tell ya in a minute but get yer ass in there where it's safe. We need ta wash up."

They walked through the pristine hallway that lead straight back to the kitchen.

"Daryl, it's spotless in here." She worried, squeezing his hand.

"Yep." He said, looking around the huge kitchen. "Just don't look in the fridge."

"Oh God." She said, "I'm glad I threw up already. Is it safe to wash up?"

He nodded toward the sink. "I'll keep an eye out."

"Well, Daryl I just gotta wash my hands. You never even got a shower. Go ahead. I'll watch." She went for the bolo knife on his waist belt and he jumped at the contact. "It's okay, just need the knife."

Clearing his throat, he set his hand on the edge of the sink. "You okay?" He questioned, worried about the fact that she'd just killed a man.

She knew just what he meant. She always read him well and that wasn't an easy feat. "I'll be fine. Just wanna get this over with. Makes me wonder if they were doin' this sort of thing before the walkers."

It was hard tellin'. He shrugged and splashed water on his face as the generator at this place was full and running – all for the greater good of the sick fucks that resided here. "Here go ahead." He told her, scanning the kitchen.

"The only way in's through the basement window and the front door." He showed her the back door, which had been boarded up and nailed shut.

"There's a spot or' there in the hallway we can sit n' wait for him."

She put her back to the clean, white wall and slid to the floor, sitting Indian style. He followed in suit giving himself room to get the bow ready. He was gonna kill that sick little mother fucker.

"So." She said, twisting the zipper on her sweater.

"So." He responded, glancing up from his bow.

"Fill me in. What did you see?"

He took a deep breath and started back fiddling with the crossbow. "The hall, the kitchen, that one bedroom, that bathroom?" He gestured to the two closed doors off the hallway. "They're clean as a whistle. What you don't wanna see? Is upstairs and in the cellar."

"Hmmm. Cleanly cannibals." She said with a straight face, daring him to smile.

It wasn't funny and he wouldn't look at her. Maintaining his crossbow served a double purpose. It kept the bow in tip top shape, and had always been a way to keep his distance from people. If he appeared busy and looked mean, people were less likely to approach him. Not her though, she was fearless when it came to him, and that was partly his fault for opening up to her the way he had over the past few months. Which was why he was upset that she was here with him when she could be back safe with Rick and the group. "I'm not real happy ya followed me out here with that - "

"Michonne." Carol finished for him. "But I'm fine."

"You gotta start thinkin' about yourself, about your safety first."

"Oh like you? Running off into the woods to kill these people to protect the group? Does that go for you too?"

He huffed. There was no arguing with her. "Why'd you insist?"

"Insist on what? Comin'?" She asked and she knew damn well that's what he meant. Now it was her turn to get quiet. He could feel her fidgeting beside him, tryin' to figure out what she wanted to say. "Why do you gotta ask why?" She whispered, flipping his question from the other day over to him, which made the corner of his mouth turn up, a little. It hurt to smile. He wasn't used to it. His answer to her then had been because she was important to him, and he was just beginning to realize how important. That scared him. When he told her she wasn't his problem, he knew it'd been his fear talkin'.

"Now you're stuck here."

"Yep."

"Might be awhile till junior gets back." He told her. And he'd be ready for him.

She shifted and put her legs out in front of her. "How did you sneak in here without getting caught?"

When he'd first gotten there, he'd seen the couple on the front porch steps arguing about where their boys were and why they hadn't come back. He'd snuck around the side of the house and rigged one of the cellar windows open. "It's easy to sneak around someone's house when you've lived with alcoholics and drug addicts your whole life. In my house being invisible was a survival mechanism."

She must've been waiting for him to say more, but he'd done it again, he'd said enough. Now wasn't the time. Maybe there'd never be a time. He'd make this kill and they were getting the hell out of there.


	8. Walls

**Here is Chapter 8, I was hoping to post 8 & 9 together but haven't had the chance to get 9 down on paper yet. I want to thank each & everyone of you for reading and reviewing my work. I totally appreciate the feedback. ~ Kat Disclaimer – I own notta concerning TWD. **

They sat in the confines of the narrow hallway for what seemed like forever listening to the soft rumbling of each other's stomachs.

Daryl let out a deep breath the last time he heard hers growl and stood up offering her a hand. "That's it. Let's go explorin'."

She stood and faced him. "I'm hungry Daryl but I'm not hungry enough to - "

"I ain't sayin' that. Let's see if they have any finger food."

"Ugh, Daryl." Her hand flew up to her mouth.

"Least I gotcha ta smile. Come on, to the kitchen."

He watched the door while she scoured the cupboards for any kind of snack that would get them through another hour or two. The kid had to come home at one point or another, unless he'd seen what they'd done to the rest of his family and knew they were waiting for him.

"Crackers!" She whispered excitedly, "And canned fruit."

Quickly and as quietly as possible she found a can opener, two forks and joined him in the hallway, bringing an unopened box of Ritz crackers and a huge can of fruit cocktail.

It wasn't long before two sleeves of crackers were gone as was most of the canned fruit. Simple food had never tasted so good.

"It seems too quiet." She noticed.

The sun was on its way down but they'd been hearing birds and the occasional rustle of wildlife outdoors all day. She was right, and somethin' just felt off.

Daryl picked up the bow while she set the food to the side in case they had to get up in a hurry. The only window that wasn't boarded up from the inside was the window on the front door, but he could see the sky through the trees and pointed. "Look."

Birds, flocks of them, were flying east toward camp.

"What do you suppose is goin' on Daryl?"

Daryl stood up and crept toward the door to peek out. "Hard tellin'." When he got to the front window he noticed several deer running east too. He had it in mind to head straight to the back door and peek between the slats to see what was happening, but then he heard a clamoring in the front.

"Tuck yer'self back against the wall." He whispered quickly, making the motion with his hand.

She did as she was told and clutched the knife tightly.

Daryl was halfway between Carol and the front door when it burst open. "Flock." It was the last thing out of the rotton smelling, gut-covered kids mouth and he was clearly out of breath. He dropped the shot gun on the floor just as Daryl fired his crossbow at close range and kicked the son-of-a bitch out the door in one flowing motion, closing and locking it.

"Is he - ?" Carol asked joining him at the window.

"From what I can tell. Did you hear what he said?"

"Yeah, flock?" Realization came over her delicate features as she looked in his eyes.

"There's got to be a herd comin'. He's outta breath when he rammed in through the door." Daryl said, pulling the front shade.

"Shit." She said, pacing a little in the small hallway. He stopped in front of her, a little shocked that she'd used the word. "Daryl, the birds, their headed east. If they're flyin' away from a herd, that'll take them right up through camp."

He didn't know what to say. There wasn't much they could do but hope that they had someone on watch who would see them in time.

The moans and shuffles started soon enough, far in the distance from the back of the house at first, but then getting closer. The slats in the boards and the last light of the day gave them just enough of a view to let them know that there were at least a hundred, if not more.

Daryl took Carol by the shoulders. "The windows are boarded. I locked the front and cellar doors. We just need to be quiet and let 'em pass by."

Soon, scratching on the siding could be heard from every angle, and the clumsy sounds of them bumping into the back of the house.

Carol slowly approached the front window and peeked through the narrow strip of shade that didn't meet the glass window pane.

"Daryl, they found the bodies. Oh God." She whispered, putting her hand to her mouth as she watched a small group scooping the freshly killed man's intestines out.

He took her hand and slowly pulled her away from the door. "Come on. We need to be real quiet and find something to barricade the door."

"The kitchen table." She pointed. "It's one of those big ones, but the legs fold down on it."

They snuck down the hallway, folded the sucker up and set it up between the door and the wall. It fit better than he'd anticipated and was heavy enough to keep them from pushin' their way in, if they found out they were in here. He was hoping the bodies outdoors would keep some of 'em busy for awhile. Problem was there were still more comin'.

He went back to Carol and opened the bedroom door, giving the dark room a once over. Earlier that morning sunlight had filtered through the slats in small window near the bed.

"I think we'll be alright." He whispered, holding onto her arm. It was gettin' harder and harder to see. The gun the kid was carrying hadn't been fired and Daryl set it in the corner of the bedroom. "We have plenty of arrows and our knives."

"Please tell me they can't get in." She pleaded quietly.

Giving her arm a squeeze, he rubbed her elbow absently. "The place is locked up like Fort Knox."

Just then they heard the sound of smashing glass from below them in the basement.

He rolled his eyes. "Spoke too soon. Shit, they smelled the bodies down there."

He watched as her brow lifted. "Bodies?"

"The blood on the goon we killed this afternoon? He'd been workin' on 'em. That's all there after. That cellar door's bolted tight."

Carol pulled away from his reach moving back into the kitchen. "Come here." She whispered. "Let's get somethin' in front of that too."

He reached her in a matter of seconds, hearing the groaning from the basement. "I tell ya, it's gonna be okay, we go movin' anymore shit and they'll hear us."

The cellar door began thumping and moving behind them before he finished his sentence. "Too late." She whispered back walking past him to the door.

She worked as quietly as possible pulling a heavy serving tray from just past the entrance of the kitchen in front of the door.

"Stubborn woman." He muttered.

The bumping grew louder, but when he put his ear to the door it sounded like it was only one or two behind it. He tiptoed back in the kitchen grabbing another box of crackers, more cans of fruit and sparing a glance in the refrigerator, he found a few bottles of water. "Find that can opener and the forks."

"Where are we goin'?"

"We can barricade ourselves in that bathroom."

"Daryl, the bedroom's better." She whispered.

When they'd been stuck underground at Jenner's compound she'd mentioned she was claustrophobic. It made him wonder if that was the problem. "Okay, bedroom then."

There was a small amount of light filtering through the boarded up window. The moon was rising in the east settling an eerie, bone white glow on the west side of the room. Shadows passed by the window at a nerve wracking slow pace. They stood there watching for a few minutes before she said, "Daryl I gotta pee."

"Bathroom's around the corner. Go on, I'll cover ya."

She went in but didn't shut the door all the way. He stood with his back turned and crossbow ready. Sounded like maybe the geeks behind the cellar door were about to give up and he wondered how many more had made it into the basement.

"All done." She said bumping into him as she came out.

"Damnit woman. Let's get in that bedroom."

She appeared unsure of what to do once they were in there, but he took notice of how light and graceful she stepped along the floorboards, careful not to make a sound. "Stop bein' so fidgety. Might wanna come sit on the bed. It's gonna be awhile."

She continued pokin' around the room, occasionally opening a drawer and quietly peeking in the closet, while he got himself comfortable, propped up against the headboard.

"I got food and water or' here." He found himself teasing. Truth was he was scared as hell but it coulda been worse. If he'd sent her back with that Michonne freak, he'd be trapped here alone and worried to death about her.

Her last run through the drawers must've proved fruitful and she finally came to the bed and showed him a small spiral bound tablet and a pencil.

"What the hell's that for?"

She shrugged. "Thought maybe if it got to the point where we couldn't talk we could write each other."

The shadows passing by the window and the moans and shuffling hadn't slowed so he took the tablet from her and glanced through it. "So this is what cannibals write down for their shoppin' lists? All's in here is some kinda formula. Numbers and shit." He went to tear it out but she put her hand on his.

"Just keep it in there." She said, taking it from him and setting it aside, pulling her legs up on the bed to sit facing him.

"You hungry?" He asked offering her a sleeve of crackers.

"Yeah a little but more thirsty, she replied reaching for a bottle of water that was propped up near his hip. He felt himself jump a little and handed it to her instead to hide his reaction.

"Sorry you're stuck here." He told her sipping his own water and finding that he was parched. How he wished would'a gotten a shower earlier. He felt grimy compared to her.

"I'm just glad we found you." She said watching him with what light the moon gave them.

Just like the other night he found he couldn't avoid her eyes, or noticin' the light spray of freckles over her nose. He had to stop thinkin' like that 'bout her. She'd been through too much, they both had, but with nothin' but the two of them sittin' alone on a comfortable bed in a nice clean room, he couldn't seem to help it, despite the flesh eatin' geeks passin' by.

"You know what I miss?" She asked glancing nervously as a particularly huge one stopped at the window before moving on.

"What's that?" He whispered.

"Music."

"I heard ya hummin' that Carly Simon song in the shower this mornin'."

She nodded her head. "It's one of my favorites. I used to listen to the retro station all the time. Sad to think we won't hear music like that again."

He tucked his head down, setting the crackers aside. "That song was my mama's favorite too." And with that admission the tension hung in the air between them, the wall he'd put up started to crumble.


	9. Twenty Questions

If she could, she'd start pacing the room again to stay distracted. But she'd grown tired of avoiding him tucked up on the bed with his crossbow ever ready. He'd bribed her with the food, and that smile of his, the smile that almost turned his lips all the way up sometimes. Hopefully one day she'd see that smile the way it was meant to light up his face.

Now she sat practically knee to knee with him and he was beginning to open up. Sure he'd opened up with what he thought was safe the other night, but this was more. It was like a gift to her and he didn't even realize. Trouble was what to say back? She debated on reaching out to him, because he might retreat to the angry facade he was so used to hiding behind, the only emotion he could fully express without having to think first. And she had to brainstorm on how to break through his defenses because she knew what they were and the things they stood for.

_Take a chance._ Her mind screamed, but there was that part of her that was afraid. Afraid after all that Ed had done to her and put her through. She hadn't always been a victim. She despised what she'd let herself become and the mechanisms she'd used to cope within those fifteen years of abuse. She'd lost herself.

_Ed is gone. This man is not him._ That inner voice whispered to her. True, he wasn't Ed. But he had more of an opportunity to hurt her than Ed ever did. Ed had never broken her heart. Daryl could and he could quite easily.

With a shaky hand he slowly moved it over hers. _Stay strong._ She told herself, steadying her own hand, flipping it over and grasping his, running her fingers over his calluses. She decided to wait. This was progress, maybe this was enough, but then he surprised her further.

"She left when I was six."

The strain in his voice put an ache inside her chest. "Six?" They really were getting somewhere.

"Yeah Merle was about thirteen, fourteen. Guess she'd had enough of the ol'man's shit and figured Merle was old enough to watch after 'baby brother'." He laughed a laugh that was loaded with bitterness. "Truth is I think she was out of her fuckin' mind by then. Who knows? I – I don't know why I'm goin' into this shit."

Silence filled the room despite the shuffling and banging from outside. She gave his hand a squeeze. "You don't have to, you know."

He glanced up at her, darkness and pain shading his features.

"I'll listen if you need me to though, you don't have to hide from me." When he didn't say anymore, she gave a little. "I'll tell you how I feel. I'm sick and tired of being the weak one. I blame myself. I let my marriage to Ed make me that way and even after he was gone; if I'd been stronger, I would've been able to protect my little girl from what happened. And when I saw you run off today, not knowin' what you were headed into; I couldn't just stand by and watch you go out there by yourself. They all held me back and let Rick go after my Sophia. No one's gonna hold me back anymore. Somethins' changed."  
"I'll say. I never thought I'd see the day you lash out and kill someone."

"That was instinct." She whispered. "I knew once he saw his wife laying there he'd find us, I just had to act."

"Ya did good. Nothin' wrong with you getting stronger, but smarts gotta go along with it."

"This is all new to me Daryl. All I can do is my best."

He let out a deep breath and after a minute or two of silence he pulled his hand away. "You wanna know somethin'?"

She held her breath and couldn't believe more was coming.

"Merle's a bastard." He started. "But he's my brother. Merle's always been Merle, but once the drugs got hold of him, it got worse. Not sayin' the things he's done are right."

"You miss him." She stated.

Daryl shook his head, confliction marring his features. "I dunno. Don't make much sense to, but in a way, I spose." He whispered. "He's unpredictable and I never knew what was gonna come next. Now I don't have that - "

"Worry?" She asked, looking toward the door. The banging on the cellar door got louder along with the scratching and the long drawn out snarls and moans. Carol felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Hey, hey," he whispered. "It's okay. Door's locked."

"Sounds like they're gonna get through."

He shook his head and put his finger to his mouth. "Come on, turn 'round."

At first she didn't realize but he was motioning for her to sit with him. He lifted himself up and moved his knees so she could sit tucked into him. _Stop shaking._ She yelled inside her head, but then she felt the slight tremors in his legs too.

"Time to start writin'." He whispered, tickling her ear with his breath. "Moon's high enough, I can see."

It was probably easier for him this way, Carol thought. "Wanna play 20 questions?" She asked hoping it would distract them both from what was going on around them.

His stubble tickled her cheek when he nodded yes. The last time his strong arms were around her like this was the day they'd found the shell that'd been Sophia. She often thought back to that nightmare and how he was the only one to reach out and grab her as she ran at lightning speed towards what used to be her baby girl. And here they were again, the threat of what happened to Sophia was there staring them in the face.

"You scared?" Was the first thing he wrote is his scratchy handwriting.

She shook her head no against him. If she were going to die, even if she became one of them, she wouldn't want to be anywhere else but there with him. He seemed to be the only person left in the world who understood her. He pointed to the paper, so she wrote, "No, are you?"

"Truth?" He asked.

"Truth." She answered.

"Yes." Was what he jotted down. She thought he was finished, but he held the pencil above the paper for a second. "Not 'cause of the geeks."

She tried turning her head to look at him, but he held his cheek against hers, urging her to write. All she could come up with was, "Oh."

His chest wiggled a little bit. Was he laughing? "You're turn." He scribbled.

She wasn't really sure if it was her turn, but she came up with a question anyhow. "What scares you?"

There was a distinct pause and she began to count the seconds that ticked by, finally he wrote, "Giving a shit."

And she immediately followed his answer with, "About?"

"My turn." He wrote. "What did you do before Ed?"

That one was easy, but took a minute for her to form thoughts into words. "I wanted to be a historian, even went to college. Then I met him. I was in band in high school. A nerd, I guess."

His chest wiggled a little again. "I can see that." He wrote.

She elbowed him lightly, but he gave her a squeeze back. "Where'd you learn about all the local legends and folklore?" She wrote for her next question. He'd get that she meant the story about the Cherokee Rose and a few other things he'd mentioned.

"My Grandma." He jotted down and that was the end of that, she felt him tense and couldn't believe he went on with his next question. "When was your first kiss?"

That one caught her off guard and she had to think back quite a ways. "Ninth grade? Maybe? At a dance, all planned out. Not really good." She decided to go with his train of thought on her next question, something less serious, so she flipped the page and scrawled, "Was your first kiss any good?"

She felt his lips turn up against her cheek, maybe more than usual, and knew it must've been. All kinds of thoughts ran through her mind. Had she been pretty? Had they cared about each other? What had he been like at the time? Still broken? Had she been someone to push past all his bullshit?

He wrote "Yes." And then his next question. "Do you remember what those toasted marshmallows tasted like the other night?"

That was his question? "Yeah." She answered. "Why would you ask that?" She decided to write for her turn.

"Because that's what my first kiss tasted like." He answered.

Carol wanted to look him right in the eye and thought maybe he was trying to distract her by fibbing, but things were calming down outside. The length of time between the shadows passing by the window was stretching out.

"Let's stop playin'." He whispered. "Ya need some rest. I'll stay awake for a bit and wake you when I get tired."

Finally he let her turn and look at him. She'd been his first kiss. She was almost sure of it and now that he'd all but admitted it, he wanted to stop playin'. Regardless, it was a lot to absorb and she _was_ getting tired. "You're the one who should be tired Daryl." She whispered. "You took half of night shift last night too, don't forget."

"I'll be fine. Sleep. I'll be wakin' ya soon enough. You're fine there if you're comfortable." He told her when she began to move out from where he held her.

Despite everything, she did feel safe there with him. Someday she'd be more independent, but for right now this felt right. She tucked her head into the crook of his arm, taking in the scent of this man who'd risked it all for their group, for her, this man who cared about her, but couldn't seem to admit it.

"Night Daryl." She whispered, yawning quietly, tucking the pad and pencil in her pocket. Those questions weren't going anywhere, and she planned on re-reading them when she was by herself sometime, just so she knew she hadn't imagined the whole thing.

He bent his head to hers and she thought for one heavenly moment that he was gonna kiss her temple, but instead he whispered, "Night." She felt him draw in the scent of her hair and let it out his breath through is nose.

Sometime later they both drifted off to sleep. She felt him shift positions and roll her to the side, her head still tucked under his chin, his arms still around her. If a walker were to bust in the room and attack them, she knew she'd at least go out as peacefully as it got in this terrible new world they lived in.


	10. Confliction

**Back to Daryl's POV, I find more of a challenge writing through him but more enjoyable because he's so fun in the way he thinks. Thank you for the great reviews and taking your valuable time to read/review/msg me and favorite my story. It means a lot to me. Kat Disclaimer: Again I own nothing concerning the characters of TWD, comic or movie. I just love these two dearly.**

The light in the room was dim when he first woke but the sun was clearly over head and he was alone. "Damnit, Carol what the hell?" Were the first words that left his parched mouth. Why had he fallen asleep without waking her? Goin' three days on five or six hours of sleep had slapped him upside the head. Where the fuck was she?

He was off the bed in a matter of seconds with his bow, noticing she had taken her knife with her, which was a plus. The door knob was one of those old creaky brass ones and the damn thing was like lead in his hand. Opening it just enough to give him a slit view of the hallway and the walker with a nasty head wound lying near the kitchen doorway was enough to send his heart thumping.

"Fuck." He hissed loading his bow, ramming through the doorway. He covered one end of the hallway quickly seeing the front door was still locked and that the table had been moved. Which was when he caught sight of the shade lifting ever so slightly with the breeze, the sunlight setting off the sparkle of the glass that was scattered all over the floor. Glancing back at the walker, he saw it lay slumped over at an odd angle, its middle oozing rancid smelling insides into the cracks of the hardwood.

Carol sat at the kitchen table with a bottle of water and her knife, which looked to be wiped clean. She'd done all this and he slept so soundly that he'd missed it?

"Carol." He said looking behind him at the cellar door, just to make sure it was still locked tight with the cart in front of it.

She glanced up at him, dazed. "I took care of him."

Crossing the tile floor in three strides he took a hold of her shoulder and shook her. She needed to snap the hell out of it. "Why didn't ya wake me up?" He demanded.

Her eyes met his wearily. "You've been tired Daryl. You've barely slept since we left the farm."

"You heard this place last night. Comin' outta that bedroom by yourself that was just plain stupid!" He couldn't help yellin'. Hadn't he talked to her about takin' risks just yesterday? His voice echoed throughout the kitchen and her eyes began to shine with tears. She, swallowed, slid the chair she was sitting in backwards across the floor and stood, wrenching her shoulder out of his grasp.

"I'm fine, it's taken care of." She lashed back and turned to limp toward the sink.

He was in motion before he knew his feet were carrying him. "You're not fine. What the hell happened? Why you limpin'?" Damn panic rose in his voice carrying it octaves higher than usual. Her hands went up in defense as she tried to move away from him. "You ain't bit, fuck, tell me you ain't bit." He pleaded more to himself than to her. When she stepped back again, his fear intensified. "Hold the hell still, let me see that leg." He demanded, taking her elbow and helping her back to the chair. "Sit."

While he unlaced her hiking boot in a shaky rage, he glanced up to see her fighting more tears. "It's a mild sprain, I think. I didn't get bit."

The bottom of her skinny jeans were too tight to roll up. "Can you walk on it?"

She nodded. "I can put some weight on it."

He sat on the floor in front of her feet for a second brooding. Then got up, doubting there were any ice packs in the freezer, but checked anyway. Next he walked out in the hall and took a hold of the rotten son-of-a-bitch that lay there and dragged the thing to the front door.

She limped to the kitchen doorway and looked on as he kicked the stupid lifeless thing, before opening the door and tossing it out on what was left of the former occupants of the house. The woods and yard around appeared trampled by the herd, but he didn't see any stragglers.

He gave her a hard glare, "When you woke, was this was the only one?"

She nodded. "He got in long before I came out. I never even heard the glass break."

His head itched and he felt grimier than ever. That Michonne had promised they'd come lookin' for them by morning light and if it hadn't been for the herd comin' through, they'd of been there by now.

"Do what I say." He said in a low voice, prayin' the tone of his voice got the message across. "Stay inside. I gotta circle the house."

Bloody, foul smears and handprints marked the siding and windows. He pulled the arrow out of what was left of the guy who'd been runnin' for his life the night before and felt nothing. He'd done what he had to. He and Carol were both alive.

He shoulda woken up first, it shoulda been him that'd taken down the geek that had gotten in. He'd told her they'd be safe in there. Just like he'd told her he'd find Sophia alive. What a fucking liar he was. He hadn't known, not for sure.

As he rounded the back side of the house sure enough there was another one that'd gotten itself stuck in one of the cellar windows. Passing it by, he moved onto something more interesting, a small shed about fifteen feet from the house. The door was padlocked but the hinges on the side were loose. Taking a walk around it, so not to be surprised by any more, he began working the hinges, strong arming the door off.

Inside was an old orange and black Polaris Sportsman four wheeler. "Hell yeah." He said to himself. The thing went into neutral easily. Checking the gas, he found it had plenty and an extra container strapped to the back. These bastards had thought of everything including where to hide the key because that was nowhere to be found, at least not out there.

"A fourwheeler?" She asked standing there with the front door open, waiting for him as he wheeled it around.

"Dammit, I told ya to stay inside."

"I am inside." She said with her arms crossed.

"Stubborn woman." He muttered. "Lotta good this'll do us if I can't find the key. It's probably in there." He told her gesturing inside the house, and then looked up at the sky. "We got at least four more hours of daylight. Better make the best of it. We need to get back to the group, see if they're alright."

They searched through drawers, looked on the key rack, kitchen cupboards, every nook and cranny to no avail. "If we can't find it, there's another way I can get it goin'. I haven't tried it in years though." He said heading for the bathroom. "Plenty of hot water, we can grab showers before we go. Put that foot up."

She turned her back on him, walking carefully into the kitchen when he closed the door. Scrounging through the drawers he found a small bottle of shampoo and turned the hot water all the way on. He liked it that way. It had always burned away everything fucked up going on inside his head to the point where he only focused on the physical pain, and that's just what began to happen when he saw the door open through the frosted shower door. "What? Somethin' wrong?" He asked her peeking out.

"Just got you some clothes. Here's a pair of jeans close to your size and a shirt." She said without so much as a peek in his direction.  
Damn woman didn't know when to sit the fuck down. "I ain't wearin' their underwear. I'll free-ball it 'fore I wear some sick fuck's grundies." That earned an audible giggle. At least he was good for somethin'. He thought. "Now go sit down."

When he got out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and wiped the steam from the mirror. Swiping a hand through his hair he noticed it was gettin' shaggier than he normally wore it and the dark, marring scars on his chest and back stood out brighter, more noticeable after they'd been softened by the hot water and a good scrubbin'.

Carol knocked on the door once he had the jeans on. "Hold on a damned second." He said through gritted teeth. He didn't want her seeing him like this. Once he pulled the shirt over his head he opened the door.

"Coffee?" She asked holding a cup out to him. "I got everything packed up that we could haul outta here in a couple pillow cases."

"Thought I told you to sit down." He brushed past her into the kitchen, thinkin' he should probably thank her for what she'd done but he was still pissed she'd dealt with that walker herself.

She didn't take long in the shower and limped out dressed in a simple pair of gray cargo pants and a long sleeved v-neck tee shirt. Her ankle had turned an ugly purple.

"Come on." He said setting his empty coffee cup down on the sink in the bathroom, bringing her back in. "Sit on the toilet and put your foot under the faucet. Prop it up there." He pointed to the corner of the tub and turned on the cold water.

"Now stay here, let the cold water take some of that swelling down so we can get your boot on. I'm gonna get the goods secured to the back of the four wheeler and check she shed for the key again." Most likely it was in a pocket or on one of the people they'd killed but he wasn't going to look there.

He found just enough rope and a bungee cord to secure the sacks to the ATV. There'd better be a hammer and a flat blade in that shed. The geek stuck in the window groaned stopping him on his way, but he still didn't have a clear shot to the head, so he kept going, ready to tear that shed apart if need be. A hammer hung from the wall and he found a flat blade in a small tool box in the corner, it also had some wrenches, nuts, bolts, bolt cutters that might prove useful back at camp. Tucking the whole thing under his arm, he met Carol around the side of the house. She'd dressed her feet, but the one boot remained untied.

"What the hell ya doin' out here?" He asked getting more pissed by the minute that she wasn't listening to him. She kept her eyes trained on the walker stuck in the window. "What? He ain't goin' nowhere."

Carol gave him a worried glance that told him to look again. The geek was pulling his face back through the glass, the skin and bone making a God-awful noise against it. It'd heard him talkin'.

"Looks like we rang the dinner bell." He got his bow ready to finish him off, but glanced over at Carol who held her knife. He wasn't sure how he knew, but it was clear she wanted to be the one to finish him off. Maybe it was for Sophia; maybe it was because of what she'd told him – that she didn't want to be a victim anymore. He nodded to her and she limped up to it and as it reached for her, she stepped on its hand with her good foot, knelt down and with one quick breath, plunged the knife into its head. After that, she kept her head lowered like she was saying a prayer; maybe just taking a moment, he wasn't sure and then she pulled it out. Pulling herself up by the window sill, she looked at him with her crystal blue eyes, obviously shaken and said, "Let's go."

He remembered the trail back but didn't want to go in that direction and meet up with anymore stragglers. There was another path that would take them up to the main road and around to the front of the camp. It'd taken a little over an hour to walk there; it would take a good twenty-five minutes to a half an hour to get back on the four-wheeler. The Polaris was easy to start once he hammered in the screwdriver and stripped the tumblers. An old trick Merle'd taught him, thank Christ it'd worked. He needed to get her back to Herschel and see about her ankle.

Carol tucked something in her back pocket before they left and he remembered the notebook from the night before. He'd gone along with the game because he didn't want her to think about what was going on or the danger that they were in. Maybe he hadn't wanted to either, but one thing was for sure, no more. He'd given enough, and she'd gone and almost gotten herself killed by not wakin' him up. It was too high of a price to care about her but when he felt her arms slide around him; he knew it was too late. He could fight it all he wanted, and dammit he'd try. All he could do was try.


	11. Bromances

**So I brought them back to the group and I'm calling this one "Bromances" because while going through YouTube vids over the past few weeks, I found the one where Daryl and Andrea were wandering thru the woods & find he "hanger walker". He had no problem opening up to her about his itchy ass and getting lost in the woods. If anything I saw more of a sister/brother type of bond with them. Andrea wants to find her place and seems to fit in w/the boys, thus the title "Bromance(s)", as Daryl will have a bit of interaction with Rick as well. So no worries about blondie stealing Carol's thunder, not that she could. ;) Thank you again for the awesome reviews. You all are too too too nice! Disclaimer: Concerning TWD – the comic and the show, I own nothing.**

One of Michonne's geeks was weaving back and forth on the front porch when they pulled up, an armless, jawless, rotting shell of what he'd been before. His chain was just short enough for them to get by without touching it. Rick opened the door and pulled them inside.

Daryl spared a look back to see how Carol was managing. "She needs Herschel to check her out." He told Rick. "Twisted her ankle." Andrea got up from where they were all sitting near the fireplace and helped her over to Herschel. Daryl gave her a nod, glad to see her back.

"I'm fine." Carol told them. "Just a sprain."

"We were planning on following Michonne out to get you but that herd came through, so we figured on waiting till first light tomorrow." Rick said, pulling him off to the side.

"Couldn't stay cooped up in that house another night. Walkers from that same herd got in the basement." Daryl eyed Michonne, where she sat by herself across the room staring out the window.

"There was a lot of confusion yesterday." Rick explained gesturing to Michonne. "She showed up with Andrea just as you took off, and then Carol took off with her. She can't be doing that."

"You're the one who said we all should pair up." Daryl's felt himself coming unglued and tried to hold it together, fending off the stares, including Carol's with a nasty glare.

"But I didn't say to go runnin' off after each other once you got split up. I specifically told her to stay with us."

"Look," he said lowering his voice. "She took out one of the bastards that killed those people in that house below. And two walkers today." Despite trying to keep it quiet, a few of the others heard what he said. "I'm not gonna stand around here and defend what we did. We got 'em, s'all that matters." He threw out his hands brushing them all off and stalked out the front door, forgetting the chained up geek standing there. It lunged at him with its gaping hole of a mouth. Daryl snarled, growling back at it. "Fucker." He said, spitting at its feet.

It took him a good, long hour of sitting there as far away from the creep as he could to calm down. Maybe Carol'd been right. Maybe he'd become Rick's fuckin' henchman.

Awhile later Rick came out with a glass of water, offering it to Daryl. "Wish it were a brewskie but it's all we got."

Daryl took it wishing it were too, moving from the bench he'd taken a seat on, over to the porch railing.

"Carol let us know what went on down there." Rick told him, clearly trying to choose his words carefully, which silently amused Daryl. He didn't always like being the "weirdo" but it'd served its purpose over the years.

"I'm sure she did." He muttered looking out at the small space of a yard in front of the mess hall.

"Her ankle's gonna be fine, by the way. Sounds like she put up quite a fight."

He felt a pinch there. Daryl wouldnt'a known. He'd never asked, only bitched at her about it.

"As far as the prison goes – that plan's still a go. With a few changes."

Daryl stood up, squinting his eyes. "Changes? Like what?"

"We got enough to last us here for at least a few days, maybe a week if we're careful. This place," He said, standing up, gesturing to the building with both his hands, "It held up last night against the herd. We used Michonne's walkers as deterrents. One is posted out front, one out back. Most of the walkers passed right on by. What I figure we'd do is send out a few scouts. Question is who?"

Daryl noticed the look that crossed Rick's features. He was waiting for him to volunteer, not that he wouldn't. The two of them were the group's strongest. One of them would have to stay. "I'll go." There was no question about it. He needed to get the hell out of there, feel like he was doing somethin'.

"Alright. I thought of sending Glenn with you. You know he's good at getting in and out of places without being noticed."

Daryl agreed, even though the china man would drive him nuts. "What about Michonne and her walkin' circus freaks?"

"Well Andrea's here, thanks to her and so are we, thanks to her quick thinking yesterday. She mostly keeps to herself."

Daryl could appreciate that, not that he trusted her as far as he could throw her.

"I figure, whether she goes her own way or not is up to her, we owe her that for helping us out."

Andrea opened the door poking her head out. "Can I join you boys?" When neither of them objected she shut the door and walked over to where they stood. "I want to go with whoever's going to scout out the prison."

Daryl could see Rick's jaw clench and he wondered how blondie had reacted to Rick offing lover boy. "I don't think that's a good idea." Rick told her.

"Well I'll tell you what, you being the leader of this group, that may be all fine and dandy with everyone else, but at this point it's not with me and I need some breathing room."

"She's gotten better with her aim." Daryl added. He knew exactly how she felt.

Rick closed his eyes for a second gritting his teeth. "Fine. But only cause if I don't let you go, there's always that chance I'll wake up looking down the barrel of your gun. Now that you know how to use one."

Andrea's mouth dropped open.

"When do we go?" Daryl asked before Andrea could use the retort he figured she'd use. He was ready to leave now.

Rick looked at them both. "I still gotta talk to Glenn. But tomorrow morning sounds good. We'll get one of the cars loaded up in a bit." And with that he strode inside.

"Why you so hot to trot to leave?" Andrea asked, leaning on the railing.

"We need a safe place to stay don't we?" He asked hearing the defensiveness in his voice.

"That we do." She said leaning on the railing with both hands. "And more space. I wanna get as far away from that bastard as I can."

"Rick?" Daryl asked, leaning into the corner post. "You can't tell me you're pissed about Shane." Daryl was pretty good at readin' people, aside from Carol. And Andrea was clearly torn.

"I don't know. It's just a shock. Dale, Patricia, Jimmy – but Shane? Rick killed him in cold blood."

"Self defense." Daryl corrected her. Did she know Shane had killed Randall and led Rick out in that field to off him too? Probably not, but he wasn't gonna bother tellin' her. Someone else would, eventually. It wasn't his place. "She doin' okay?" He asked, changin' the subject.

"Who Carol? Seems to be. Did she really take down two walkers today? Michonne told us about her kill yesterday. Who would've thought?"

Daryl muttered to himself. He didn't understand the mix of pride, fear and especially the guilt he felt for leaving her to deal with the first walker alone. His stomach growled reminding him they hadn't eaten much more than a few crackers with the instant coffee back at the house. "Has she eaten anything yet?"

Andrea took a step back giving him a skeptical look.

"What? Just didn't wanna miss out on any left-overs myself." He told her, absently rubbing his stomach, walking past her, squeezing past the gross lookin' bastard of Michonne's.

His eyes darted all over the room tryin' to spot her green sweater but she wasn't there. Rick sat by the fireplace with Glenn and a worried looking Maggie most likely talking to them about the mission. He gave them a nod, but headed for the kitchen.

"She went down to the ladies room." Michonne said from under her hood. She was in the exact same place she'd been in when they'd arrived.

He sidestepped the kitchen door and went straight for the back door. "Alone?"

The small laugh that escaped her from under her cloak was infuriating. "Not alone. Rick's wife went with her."

"Oh that's great, you know everyone around here now, been makin' friends have ya?"

"Daryl!" Rick warned from where he sat.

A knot formed in his chest, another powerful ball of anger and bitterness. He grabbed his crossbow and jacket and continued on his way out without another word.

Lori and Carol were coming around the corner from the bathrooms when he reached the bottom steps. His plan was to walk in the other direction, but Carol began limping faster up the hill to catch up to him, with Lori hot on her trail. He didn't want to be responsible for Carol hurting her ankle anymore than she had or the pregnant chick tumblin' down the hill, so he let out a deep breath and stayed put.

"Did you eat yet?" Was Carol's first question.

"Did you?"

"This isn't twenty questions anymore. Answer me." She demanded, adding the word, "Please."

He dropped the bow to his side and shifted his weight one side. "No."

"Clean the bow later. You need to eat."

"If I do, will ya put that foot up?" Lori had been watching their exchange, but when he gave her the Dixon stare, she beat feet up the steps.

There was somethin' different about Carol, maybe a spark in her eyes, but could be the sun makin' them look bluer than usual. And then she did something that surprised him even more. She smiled. A genuine smile. "I'll put it up."

"Well whatcha waitin' for?" He asked, feeling awkward as hell. The steps weren't an easy feat for her, but she took them all on her own. Before they even sat down at the table off the kitchen, Lori had their plates piled full of canned peas, instant potatoes and canned gravy.

He gave Carol a sideways glance and drug the chair opposite them across the floor with his boot. "Up." He said, and that earned him another smile. How was he gonna tell her he was leaving in the morning? Who the hell would look after her? Rick was busy figuring things out with Lori, - or not figuring them out, Herschel, well, he wasn't sure the man had been right since they abandoned the farm and he also had Beth to look after. Maybe Maggie, he thought, but she'd be sick with worry about Glenn. And definitely not Michonne. Suddenly the food in front of them, no matter how good it tasted turned his stomach. What the fuck had he gotten himself into worryin' about her like this?

"Lori says you, Glenn and Andrea are scouting out the prison tomorrow." She said, taking a dainty bite of potatoes.

He huffed and slapped his napkin in his lap. "News travels at lightnin' speed around here."

"No, it's a good plan. You'll figure out a way in and see if it's safe. Just be careful." She told him scooping another helping of peas and potatoes in her mouth.

"And you - " he started, then stopped when he wasn't sure what to say. Clearing his throat, he downed some water. "Just stay inside and get that ankle back to its normal size."

Later than night he sat propped against the wall next to the fireplace. Rick and T-Dog were on watch most of the night so he, Glenn and Andrea would get enough rest to make the trip, although he couldn't catch a wink. He was starting to think he'd made a mistake not makin' Rick go along with Glenn and Andrea. Carol slept further down towards his feet, her own foot propped up on a pillow that Carl had brought out for her before he fell asleep near Lori. It was good to see her sleepin' so peacefully.

Rick must've heard him thumping against the wall because he poked his head in, before standing in the doorway. He'd caught him lookin' her way. "I'll keep an eye on her." He whispered. "Get some sleep."

Daryl gave him the nastiest look he could muster and it wasn't until Rick walked back outside that he slid down onto the pillow he'd been sitting on, turned his back to her and forced his eyes shut. In the old world, nothing was guaranteed, and in this new one, things had only gotten worse. Behind his closed eyes the nightmares began.


	12. All Business

**Hi all! Thank you for everyone's great reviews! I am posting 12 & 13 together, as this weekend is going to be really busy. I am traveling to N.J. tomorrow to the Chiller Theater Expo to meet Norman Reedus! And hopefully I won't need mouth to mouth b/c I doubt Norman would do it. I'd have some big, sweaty, muscly security guard on me. :P I hope you enjoy the Chapters. Chapter 12 and 13 leave Carol and Daryl apart but in each other's thoughts, greatly. Chapter 14, I promise will bring them face to face again with feelings that they still have no clue how to deal with...and the Prison...and some other surprises. **

**Disclaimer as usual, I own nothing concerning The Walking Dead - other than the autograph I get from Mr. Norman tomorrow. WHOO HOO!**

Carol watched as they loaded the last of the gear into the car. Maggie stood on the steps with her, clutching her hand. Every so often Glenn would glance over and give her a reassuring nod or smile.

"He told me he used to do this all the time when you all were in camp outside Atlanta. I'm just so worried with all the walkers that came through. It was only the night before. And if people like the ones you and Daryl ran into exist - "

She squeezed Maggie's hand. "People like that have always existed, even before the walkers. We just have to have faith they'll come back safe to us."

Daryl had been milling around and it was obvious he was antsy to get a move on, glancing at her every now and then. She was trying to grasp what he was going on in his head, but all she got was that he needed space. That concept was as familiar to her as the back of her own hands. Crowding him would only push him away. The time apart would give her time to think; time to figure out how she fit into the group, apart from Daryl. Slowly and surely she was finding the courage that she knew was inside of her. She only wished she'd found it long before Sophia died. That didn't mean her heart wasn't beating against her rib cage at the thought of something happening to him. This however was different from when she and Michonne tracked him through the woods. He wasn't heading out alone without a plan and this plan, if it worked could be beneficial to all of them.

Maggie took off on a whim and bolted over to Glenn, hugging and kissing him good-bye. Andrea walked out, looking like a solider geared up for battle, so strong and independent. Carol felt like a shrinking violet compared to her.

"I think Glenn or I had better do the driving." Andrea said out of the corner of her mouth.

Carol watched as Daryl stood on the other side of the car talking with Rick and Glenn. "Why's that?"

Andrea gave her a sly grin. "You telling me you don't know? He sat up half the night watching over you."

She brought her hand to her mouth in shock but caught him looking over and pretended she was biting her fingernail. The pain pill Herschel had given her, had knocked her for a loop and she'd gone straight to bed.

"You comin' or what?" He yelled over to Andrea, sounding aggravated.

"Could be the sight of me sleeping repulsed him." She retorted. Which sent Andrea into quick fit of laughter.

"I don't quite think that's what's going on." She smiled, giving her a quick hug. "I'll watch his back for ya."

"I'm grateful." Carol said trying not to appear worried. He would catch on that they were talking about him soon enough and she didn't want him to think they were makin' fun of him.

Maggie had tears brimming in her eyes when Rick walked her back up on the porch. Andrea threw her things in the back seat and climbed in, Glenn sat behind the wheel trying to give Maggie more reassuring looks. It was Daryl who held them up as he stood on the other side of the car, staring at her over the rooftop. She wasn't sure whether he was gonna say good-bye or not, but it looked like he wanted to. Then without a word he opened the door and got inside.

It was better that way. What had she expected? Daryl was Daryl. His eyes always said more than his mouth ever did anyhow. The car disappeared from sight making a left hand turn onto the main road. Rick gave Carol a curt nod and went inside with Maggie. It was almost a relief he'd volunteered to go because she needed the time to get herself on the road to recovery, this time emotionally.

Now seemed as good a time as any. She and Lori had made up breakfast the night before for everyone to grab in the morning including the group departing. There were biscuits wrapped up in a towel on the kitchen divider. She limped over, took one out and made it back to where she'd slept. Under her pillow was the bolo knife.

"Rick, I am heading out back if that's okay. I'll stay within sight of the windows."

"Daryl wanted you to keep your foot up." He eyed the knife. "And it's probably a good idea."

"It's fine. There's an archery range down below."

"Carol - " He started.

"Rick, I need to learn how to defend myself."

A look crossed his face, the kind of resigned expression her parents used to give her when she insisted on doing something they didn't want her to do. Finally he stood up from the hearth and walked over to a few of the bags they had stowed in the corner. In one of them were a set of throwing knives. "These will be easier to start with."

Inside she felt her spirits lift. The older she got the less she found herself able to release the past, but slowly and surely things were changing.

"I'll keep an eye on you from the steps." He said.

"Thank you." Tears welled up behind her eyes. She started across the room forgetting about her ankle, stepping on it and winced, but didn't let it deter her. She was going to heal.

The drive took less than forty minutes but already the incessant chatter from Glenn had him grinding his teeth. "You realize once we get up close to the prison, yer gonna have ta shut yer yap?"

"S-sorry." Glenn stuttered. "I just hated leaving Maggie."

Daryl knew the kid talked when he was nervous but Christ. At least it kept him from wonderin' why he'd wanted to say good-bye to her this mornin'. He wasn't good at that sort of thing, but he figured she would at least say somethin'. And she hadn't. It was strange how calm she'd been about him leavin' which made him worry even more. He didn't need the worry; he needed to keep his head on straight. That was the point of this trip, to do something useful and try and get her out off his mind.

Andrea had been unusually quiet, not that he minded. "Y'all right?" He asked craning his neck to see her.

She gave him a nod. All business. That was more like it. They were there to check out the prison and report back tomorrow morning.

"Park off to the side here." Daryl pointed. There was a rock quarry like where they'd camped outside of Atlanta but much more secluded, and a steep hill that led up to God knew where. Directly in front of where they pulled over, was a path that led down into the brush a ways. It was thick and a good place to hide the car.

"I'll back in; make it easier if we need to make a fast get away." Glenn told him.

"Isn't that how it always goes?" Daryl commented, climbing out of the cramped car and checking his arrows. Scoping the immediate area out, they found a small stream and plenty of cover in the trees that had just begun to change color. "We'll camp here near the car later. We'd better get walking though, no sense in wasting daylight."

There were plenty of paths to choose from along the way, but all led to the main road that took them to the entrance and as much as they tried to skim around the trees, if anyone were in there alive, they'd surely be spotted.

"All that space." Andrea marveled looking through the front gate. "It looks safe enough."

"If the dead don't own it." Glenn said, holding up the chain and padlock. "Not sure if we're gonna find out at this point."

They'd brought the heavy duty bolt cutters but they were in the trunk of the car. "Looks like we'll have to head back and grab 'em.". The walk didn't bother Daryl, but it meant less time checkin' out the place. He adjusted the bow on his shoulder and smelled the rain just as it began falling. "Fuck."

He complained. They didn't have much time to get to the car before everyone was practically soaked to the bone.

"Well that screws up going back right away." Andrea griped. "Wouldn't it make sense if there were walkers in there that they'd be wandering around the courtyard we could see from the gates?"

"Don't know. All we can do is wait it out and head back once the rain stops." Daryl said settling back in his seat. After a half an hour or so of quietness, for which he was thankful, he pulled his do-rag out of his pocket and found a small piece of notebook paper folded up. Inside was Carol's neat handwriting. "Stay safe, and please don't worry. I'll be fine. Carol."

He folded it back up and slipped it in his shirt pocket. It had an odd calming effect on him, but then he had to fend off he stares from china man and Andrea.

"What the hell you lookin' at? Rains slowin' down. Let's go."

It'd slowed to a drizzle, but they'd packed dry clothes and he figured they could change when they got back and set up camp. They were gonna get inside that prison come hell or high water.

Back at the gate, the lock broke easily, but Glenn cut it in such a way that it went back together once they were inside the fenced area and it looked like no one had messed with it.

They all raised their weapons, taking the outside perimeter of the fence and working their way in. Most of the doors, they found were locked. There were many narrow hallways with ivy growing along the stone walls that led to more locked doors.

They found one with another chain and deadbolt, but Daryl peeked inside first, shining the small flashlight he carried with him in through the window. There was something moving behind the glass and within a second a decayed face and a milky eyeball slammed up against the window. "Aw, hell there's dead in here." He told them stepping back and shutting the flashlight off.

"It looks like this door is secured. Maybe they're quarantined." Andrea suggested. "Like I said, they'd be wandering all over the place if they weren't."

Daryl made his way past them out of the hallway, trying to figure out if she was right, if there was a space they were holed up in. There were windows all along the side of the building and each time he shone his light in a new, nasty mangled face would greet him. There were so many crowded in there, he figured they had to be quarantined.

Glenn knelt down taking the flashlight. "It's gotta stop somewhere. Let's keep going, window to window until we find where it stops."

Eventually they worked their way around that portion of the old stone building until they came to a door with a sign that'd been thrown in the corner. Daryl picked it up, flipping it over. "Cell Block Ten. Looks like someone's got them penned up in here."

"Most look like prisoners." Andrea suggested. "Guards too."

Daryl nodded. "So we go from here and figure out how to get in." At least they were up close to the place without any problems. "Just hope it's not a pipe dream."


	13. Ivy

"Oh it is a pipe dream." Andrea said. "This might do for awhile, if we can get rid of cell block ten. But I don't think there's any place that's truly safe."

Daryl ignored her and focused. _Stay safe._ He repeated Carol's words in his mind and pushed forward. The ivy ran along the stone walls, growing over the vents and basement windows. Looking closer he found one where the ivy had grown so thick that it'd pushed the window in. Crooking his finger, he showed Glenn.

"This is our way in." Daryl whispered, laying flat on his belly aiming the flashlight in through the cracks. "Cover me." He grabbed his knife and began working the window, taking a few seconds here and there to listen for shuffles, moans or any other noise a living person might make. There was nothing, but that didn't mean there was nothing. Scanning the area there were fuel tanks, lining the walls and a few small boxes, but nothing else. He put his knife away and lifted up on his elbow. "I'm gonna reach in and tap on the wall. If there's geeks down there, they'll hear and head in this direction. If not, I'll go down." He knew Glenn was agile enough but he didn't want to be held accountable for him gettin' hurt. Andrea neither.

After he made the tapping noises for a few minutes and still heard nothing, he shimmied down inside the room. "My bow?" He said, reaching up.

Glenn handed it down carefully. "What now?" He asked.

Daryl glanced up through the window into the light to where he could just make out the shape of Glenn's face. "Give me fifteen minutes. If I don't come back, head back to camp."

"What?" Glenn asked, as if the idea was ludicrous. But Daryl had already taken off around the corner of the room. He was almost sure that it would lead to another locked door. If there weren't survivors in here, he'd cut off his own hand to match Merle's, this place was locked down too tight for there not to be anyone around.

He made it all the way up the steps, through the empty, dusty hallways, weary of every dark cell, every squeak, past the library, past the front desk where papers were scattered all over the top and floor below it. The front door was chained from the inside, which meant there had to be someone there, in fact he felt eyes on him, but a quick scan of the immediate area showed nothin'.

_Stay safe. _Carol's words again. If somethin' happened to him, who would look after her? _You're not my problem. _His words echoed back. But she had been, from all the way back to the night he'd walked the road looking for Sophia. That night when she hadn't had the strength to do it herself.

Now more than anything he wanted to get out of there. If there were survivors outside of block ten and they'd turned, they'd been on him like stink on shit by now, if they were alive, they could be hidin'. He didn't know or care at this point. The fifteen minute mark was comin' around and he headed back the way he came.

Andrea and Glenn both heaved huge sighs of relief when he appeared in the window. "What the hell you two freakin' out about?"

"Is anyone in there?" Andrea asked. "Any walkers, people?"

"Not a thing from what I could see. I'll get into it later. Time to hunt."

"Does it look like a good place for the group?" Glenn asked trying to keep up with him.

"I said, we can talk later." Daryl hollered. He could feel Andrea and Glenn exchange looks behind him. He'd never spooked easily before. Damn woman had infiltrated his head just like the ivy growin' in though the windows.

After lunch, Carol limped back out to the target range with Lori following her. She sat on a barrel watching. It'd rained, but the clouds had parted and Carol wanted to get back at it. She'd made some progress. The knives were making it closer to the center of the target than when she'd first started this morning. She was still unsure of how to stand.

"Don't look at me." Lori said, laughing with a bit of pride in her eyes. "You're probably doing it right, must be, you're getting better."

They both watched as Michonne made her way down the hill, ever so graceful. Carol admired how strong and silent she was. Lori had already admitted the woman gave her the willies, so it didn't surprise Carol when she said hello to Michonne and made an excuse to go back inside.

"You're worried about your stance?" Michonne asked. Normally she would wear the hood inside and out, but she pulled it back revealing beautiful chestnut colored curls and deep brown eyes. "Let me show you. You've almost got it."

She worked with Carol until she was hitting the center with almost every throw. "Thank you." Carol said later when they headed inside. She wanted to help with dinner. Daryl, Glenn and Andrea were due back tomorrow and she wanted to make sure they had something prepared for them in advance.

"Not a problem. I'm sure your man will be pleased."

"Michonne, he's not my - " Carol stopped. "It's, I don't know. We're not together. We just always seem to wind up together."

Michonne just smiled. "That's usually how it goes."

* * *

They had plenty of food, but Daryl was restless so he went hunting. He told them he wouldn't be going far. For some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He'd felt it since he'd been inside the prison. The walkers in cell block ten worried him, but it was more than that.

Glenn sat near the small fire he'd built when Daryl came back with three squirrels and he and Glenn set to skinning and gutting them right away.

Andrea made a face. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but I don't think I'll ever get used to watching you guys do that."

"You wanna hang with the guys." Daryl reminded her.

"So what's up with the prison?" Glenn asked changing the subject. Daryl knew he'd been anxious to hear about what it'd been like on the inside.

"Lot's of space." He shrugged.

"You seemed upset when we left. I should've gone in." "You've gone soft on count of your girl." Daryl told him. Pissed more at himself because he'd felt a touch of what Glenn was feeling when he'd been in there today.

Andrea smiled not looking at him. "It doesn't make you weak to need someone Daryl."

He worked at skinning the squirrel he held a little bit harder almost cutting into his thumb. He wanted to set up his tent and get the fuck away from the both of them but she wasn't gonna clean their dinner, so he cut her a glare, which didn't seem to have the affect he wanted it to.

When it grew dark, Glenn took first shift. The plan was for each one of them to take a three hour span where they'd keep watch. Andrea would take second and Daryl third. Glenn wore Dale's watch, which helped them keep time.

The night was cold and despite knowing he could rest, he wondered how Carol was sleeping back at camp. What would he do when he got back tomorrow and Maggie rushed into Glenn's arms? It'd be as fucking awkward as it'd been this morning is what it would be. Who was he foolin'? The only reason he'd opened up to her the night they'd been stuck in that freak house was because there was nothin' better to do and he didn't know if they'd last till mornin'. He rolled over on his side feeling her note crinkle in his shirt and groaned. If he could just convince himself of the lies he kept filling his own head with.

Sometime around four o'clock a breathy moan, outside his tent and Andrea's hushed whisper from the fire woke him. He sat up, grabbing his bow which was loaded and ready. He'd purposely left the tent unzipped and when he peeked out, she pointed to his left with her knife.

Daryl crawled out slowly aiming in that direction and spotted the figure just as his eyes adjusted to what little light there was. It growled, waking Glenn, who poked his head out of his tent on the opposite side. It was a quick hit with an arrow to the head and he was gone.

They joined Andrea at the fire. "Is that it?" Glenn asked. All three of them listened as they heard one more crashing through the brush, less gracefully than the last.

"God don't let it be a herd." Andrea muttered, following the sounds past a nearby tree and putting her knife through its skull. When she pulled it out Daryl heard the clicking sound of a gun.

"Andrea." He shouted keeping his bow trained on where he'd heard the sound. She turned just in time to see two men step out of the woods, guns aimed at them.

"It's them." The small, stocky one said to his taller friend.

"We're who?" Glenn asked, getting his knife out.

"Shut up." The bigger man said. "You were at the prison this afternoon." He was aiming at Daryl.

"Yeah, so. Ya mind aimin' that gun at that walker to your left?" Daryl asked looking past him.

The guy wasn't sure if Daryl had been trying to trick him, so he hesitated before the walker almost bit into his shoulder. Daryl aimed quick and took him out.

"Now, who the hell are you people?" Daryl said advancing on the two despite the fact that one still had his gun trained on him.

The smaller man told his friend to lower his gun. "We've been staying at the prison since the outbreak. There are a few others too."

He knew he'd been watched. "How many?" He asked, not mincing words.

The men looked at each other. "There are five of us." The smaller one answered as the other nudged his arm.

"We don't know them. Don't tell them shit."

Daryl held his bow out, thinkin' if he seemed a bit less threatening the men may give them a little more information.

"Name's Bud." The taller one said. I lived nearby. Seemed the most logical place to head to once we heard they had most of the goons locked up."

"Cell Block Ten." Glenn said. "We saw."

"This here's my neighbor, Jeff."

Daryl wasn't about to give up any more information than he had to. He'd let them do the talkin' and go from there. He only hoped Glenn would keep his mouth shut.

As first light flickered through the trees, Bud and Jeff sat on one side of the fire, while Glenn, Andrea and Daryl sat on the other. In the last hour they'd shared some of their food in exchange for as much information as the men would give on the prison.

Bud stuffed his mouth with one of Carol's fluffy biscuits and glanced up at Andrea. "These are amazing. Haven't had real food like his in months."

Andrea gave him a nod, going along with Daryl on not letting them know there were more to their group. They'd learned the other three men at the prison had been inmates, but the small group had co-existed peacefully since Bud and Jeff had found the place.

"We were startin' to think we were the only ones left." Jeff told them, biting into the left over squirrel meat.

"Truth is." Daryl began, noticing Andrea tense up. "We're lookin' for a safer place ourselves. The men looked at each other, Bud eyeing Daryl's crossbow.

"You shoot sharp with that thing. Saved my life, not that it means much. You all do know about comin' back like them no matter how ya die, right?"

Andrea had been the last to hear the news out of their group and she stood up, heading for her tent.

"Yeah, we know, all except for a head shot." Glenn answered.

"Well." Bud said finishing the last bite of his biscuit. "How would you like a tour?"

Daryl glanced at Dale's watch It was close to seven a.m. "Why not? What else we got ta do?" They'd be late getting back, but it just might pay off.


	14. Backbone

**Hi! Now that I've come down off cloud nine from the weekend, here is a bit of a longer chapter for the 14****th**** installment. Norman was a gentleman, and so gracious to everyone he met. I have no idea how he kept going all weekend. We all brought him something and I was tickled pink when I got home and he'd tweeted a pic of the card I made him. It was so funny b/c I was handing Sean Clark (his handler) $ for a photo of him to sign and Norman sees my hands shaking and says, "Why are you shaking, why are you shaking?" Shaking his hands at me. I said, "Um, because you're standing right in front of me." He holds out his hand and says, "Hi, I'm Norm." I say, "Uh, I know." He had me come around the side of the table so he could give me a huge hug. He smelled uh-mazing. OMG. Surreal…so I did get a wee bit stuck due to my concentration level.  
**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter! Please leave feedback, and as always I own nothing concerning TWD. Only in my dreams. Kat**

It was getting close to the noon hour, judging by the sun and they all were looking to Rick for answers. T-Dog sat on the hearth rubbing his temples. When Rick walked by, he reached out to get his attention. "Rick, I'll be fine here with them if you wanna head out and see what's keeping them."

Rick held up his hand. Everyone waited for his answer. Maggie sat near Carol on the rug, near panic. "Let's give them just a bit longer. 'Bout a half an hour and I'll go."

Carol felt Maggie's back heave with relief and rubbed. "It's gonna be fine. They're just out there figuring things out. They're tough; they'll be back before we know it."

These were all things she'd been trying to convince herself of too.

Everything had stopped once it'd gotten past breakfast time. They'd all grown quiet with worry. And with so much quiet it made it possible for them to hear every noise inside and outside the building, including the car, once it finally pulled in.

Maggie bounced up off the floor and Carol's heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. Rick held them both back while he waited for all of them to get out of the car. Once he knew they were all okay, he let them past him.

Glenn picked Maggie up off the ground, twirled her around and kissed her all at the same time. Daryl was busy unloading things from the back and his eyes met hers when he stood upright. She wasn't sure whether to go to him or to let him come to her – if he would at all. It was hard to tell whether he'd found the note or not. She'd debated on writing one at all, but knew things had been awkward since being stuck in that house for the night and she thought it might help for him to know that she'd be thinking of him. Above all she hadn't wanted him to worry about her and get himself hurt. Maybe it'd been too presumptuous to think that he would.

His eyes were still on her when he rounded the back of the car, so she took her chances – since he didn't look upset - and met him half way.

"Sposed to have your foot up." He grumbled quietly.

"It's better." She told him, unable to breathe. It was true, it had some purplish bruising to it, but she could walk on it almost fine. "Glad you're okay."

He mumbled something about her being stubborn, acting like he was unsure of what to say, so when he walked past her, she fell into step behind him, until he met Rick, Glenn and Andrea on the porch and stopped to talk with them, leaving her on the outside edge of the group.

What had she expected? For him to thank her for writing him a stupid little note? God why did he have to be so confusing? Act concerned, even kiss her and then blow her off. Damnit she knew they both had issues, but she wasn't going to follow him around like a puppy. This was exactly why she'd said she wasn't ready for something like this.

Grabbing the knives by the window, she passed Michonne, who followed her on her way out the back door. It would take them awhile to talk to Rick, she was almost sure and practicing would give her something to take her mind off Daryl.

She began throwing before Michonne got to her. "You don't want to throw when you're upset."

Carol whipped the knife and it hit the center of the target deeper than usual. "And why would you think I'm upset?" She said throwing the other, which landed a few inches to the right of the first.

"The tension is rollin' off you like smoke honey."

What could she say to that? She was mortified it was that obvious. Still, she made her way over to the wooden target, pulled out the knives and went at it until Michonne made a noise to warn her that Daryl was walking down the hill toward them.

With what little time she had to compose herself, she pulled her elbow back and put on a straight face aiming the knife again. It was warm out and he'd worn a sleeveless t-shirt and a pair of the cargo's he'd fetched from the box the other night. The shirt showed off the taut muscles in his arms, and she had to look away to keep her focus. He took a seat next to Michonne on one of the blocks of maple set alongside the range.

Michonne immediately got up, walking over to Carol squeezing her arm. "You're doin' great. I'll leave you two be." She whispered.

Carol watched her disappear up the hill, cursing the fact that she'd left her alone with him. What in God's name would she say? She was afraid and she didn't want to admit it, so she turned her head and kept throwing.

They'd sat together in silence before and it'd been fine but this was different. While he'd been gone she'd kept herself distracted cooking, cleaning sorting and packing, learning how to throw and even helping teach the other girls how, but there was no avoiding him now. The target became blurry as her nerves grew more wrought, and before she knew it the knives crept further and further from the center. She didn't even know why she kept going, but she didn't know what else to do.

"Hey." He said quietly from behind her. She jumped, not realizing he'd gotten that close. "S'all right. You just need ta - " He took the knife out of her hand and stood next to her, showing her how he stood when he threw. The knife flew and hit the bulls-eye. She still wasn't sure what to say, so she took the other one, aimed, breathed in deeply and hers landed right next to his. "That's it." He told her, with 'almost' smile of his forming. "You been eating? You look thinner."

"Daryl, these clothes are small on me, is all. You've only been gone one day. I've been eating. Have you? We have lunch up there all ready."

"What'd ya come down here for?"

She shrugged, feeling the sheer rose colored shirt fall off her shoulder, and caught him looking. "Well you were talkin' to Rick, so I thought I'd keep occupied."

"Let's go up and get some food."

She took a second to grab the knives before walking up with him. "How'd it go?" She was dying to know.

"Rick's taking a drive out to check it out with T-Dog and that Michonne chick. I'm sure Andrea'll fill ya in."

She didn't want Andrea to fill her in, but after Daryl sat down and ate with her, he left out the back way to find some wood to make more arrows for his bow.

Lori was in doing the dishes, and not feeling well while doing so, so Carol took over for her. When she finished them, she found Andrea stretched out by the fireplace, reading a book.

"Maybe you'll tell me how it went." She stated sitting down next to her.

The blond pursed her lips and laid the book across her chest. "Daryl isn't much of a talker, that's for sure, so I'm not surprised he didn't get into it with you. I don't know Carol, we got there, the place is huge. There's a catch though." She told her about the walkers in cell block ten and the men they met that morning. "Maybe it's just me, but I'm a little leery of bunking up with the inmates they've been sharing the prison with."

"Inmates?" Carol asked.

"Three of them. The other two guys seem harmless, they lived nearby before the outbreak. I think Daryl has his concerns, although ultimately he's leaving it up to Rick."

"Daryl trusts Rick." Carol said, defending him. "Look none of us are perfect. I'll admit I was scared that night after we lost the farm. Rick was the only one who would step up and take charge."

Andrea could only seem to nod, lost in her own thoughts.

"How did Daryl do?"

"It got a little hairy. The plan called for Glenn to sneak into check out the prison, but Daryl volunteered. And when he came out, I swear he was spooked. I don't think it was the place though. He seemed fine when the two men gave us the tour this morning."

Carol let out a sigh, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Three walkers came through camp last night. We took them out easily enough, but Daryl didn't get much sleep. It was in the middle of my turn and he woke up to help take care of them. But when I was sitting there by the fire Carol, while he was asleep, I think you should know he said your name."

"My name?" She asked. "Why would he say my name?"

"Yours - and Sophia's." Andrea said rubbing her arm. "He cares for you. Don't you see it? I think he has nightmares about what happened. There's that fear that he'll lose you too."

Carol's stomach dropped and she regretted ever telling him about her illness. That'd probably made it worse.

Daryl appeared behind them with his knife and a few pointed sticks in his hand. "When did you become a shrink?" He asked Andrea.

"He heard every word." Carol hissed, squeezing Andrea's arm.

"What's the difference?" She asked loudly. "He knows I'm right." Daryl had already walked back out on the porch.

"Now what?" Carol asked. "Avoiding him hasn't gone so well since you all got back."

Andrea held her hand up and pointed. "Go on. See what happens."

"I feel like you're sending me to the gallows." Carol said dryly.

Andrea pointed her on and returned to her book. She found Daryl on the back steps, filing the handful of sticks he'd collected. "Daryl, I'm sorry."

"What'cha sorry for?" He asked filing a little bit harder with each stroke of his knife. "Damn woman has no clue. Think she knows e'rthing."

Carol sat down next to him, glancing up at the one goon that Michonne had left out back. Daryl moved over so she wouldn't have to sit on the thing's feet.

"I shouldn't have sent that note. I made you worry." She said, fretting, twisting her fingers together.

The strokes he made with his knife became slower and less rushed. Finally he looked her in the eyes. "Note or not it wouldn't'a mattered."

That set the flutters in her stomach a buzz, making her want to get up and run. He scared her but in a different way than Ed.

She sighed, unsure of what to say. The most she could do was prove she could protect herself and hold her own and that would take time. "You're back. That's all that counts." She said.

He went back to making his arrows.

"I gotta go help Lori. She wasn't feelin' good earlier."

When he said no more, she stood, but stopped at the door, taking the risk and resting her hand on his shoulder, expecting him to flinch or pull away. "Thank you for caring." It seemed things would be touch and go like this for awhile, if not forever.

It was late when Rick came back with T-Dog. Daryl met him at the front door. All three were out on the porch for quite awhile before coming back inside. Everyone waited quietly hoping to catch an idea of whether the prison was a go or not. When they came back in, Daryl looked around, taking the only available seat near Carol on the hearth.

"We're leaving tomorrow." Rick announced. "I've spoken to Bud and Jeff; they've shown us the prison and are fine with our group joining them there. It's a safer place, there will be rules once we get there and get situated, but I'll go into all that once we arrive. There are a few of us that need rest tonight so I'm asking a few of you who haven't taken shifts to do so. Three hours at a time."

Next to her Daryl's posture stiffened. Rick went on, "I'll take the first three hours with Michonne. Maggie and Herschel can take the second three hours and I thought Carol and T-Dog could take the last three hours. Is everyone alright with that?"

Maggie stared across the group at her father and smiled, "We got it covered."

T-Dog reached over and offered his fist for Carol to bump. "We got this, right? Now that you're a pro at throwin'"

She smiled at Maggie, both of them feeling a wee bit empowered.

When Rick was finished Daryl jumped up and followed him outside. T-Dog must've sensed what was going to happen because he walked out behind Daryl.

"I'll take Carol's shift." She heard Daryl say. He was trying to be quiet but she had her ear pressed to the door sill.

"Daryl, no arguments here. In the past seventy-two hours you've gotten maybe eighteen hours of sleep. That's not enough, and we don't have enough caffeine to keep you runnin' that long. She'll do fine. You see how she's learning to throw? It's why I paired her with T-Dog."

"She needs her rest too. Just wake me up instead." Daryl insisted.

Carol wasn't going to allow him to say anymore. "Could you give us a minute?" She asked the others, walking out with her arms crossed, catching the warning look on Rick's face aimed at Daryl.

Once they were inside, she tried to reason with him nicely. "Daryl. It's three hours. I'll be fine. You need your rest. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty here."

Anger and frustration flashed in his eyes. He was about to say something and leaned in, making her flinch and pin herself against the wall, but he moved back as soon as he realized what he'd done. A familiar lump welled up in her throat but she forced it down and stepped forward. "I'm taking that shift." She told him with a little more backbone than she thought was possible, coming from her.

Giving her one last snake-eyed look, he stalked around the corner of the building. It was happening, she was healing and finally feeing more sure of herself. Sophia would've been proud. And not even the lost soul that she cared so deeply for was going to change it.


	15. Hope

**Hi! Thank you for the kind comments & reviews. Here's another installment – a little fluff added. I tried to stay true to Daryl. I think Carol is easier. As usual, I own nothing concerning The Walking Dead. Kat**

There was a slight tug on the sleeve of her shirt – the arm she always kept uncovered when she slept on her side. Peeking through sleep-hazed eyes, she saw that it was still dark and Maggie was leaning over her.

"Time to get up Carol." She whispered with a smile.

She couldn't believe it was her turn already, but she was prepared. She slid her boot clad feet out of the sleeping bag and stretched.

"You slept with your boots on?" Maggie asked laughing quietly.

"These days you never know." Carol told her, and then she pulled her pant leg up a little. "Look." She'd found some elastic and had sewn leather sheaths together for the knives.

"Hey, not bad." Maggie said, bedding down next to Glenn. "By the way, I wanted to warn you." She pointed over to where Daryl had been sleeping - had been. "He's only been awake about twenty minutes I think, but he's out there."

Carol curled her arms around her knees, and took a deep breath. Damn him. He wasn't gonna take this opportunity to be more than just den mother away from her. When she rose, Maggie must've sensed that she was upset and called to her as she walked toward the door.

"Hey Carol."

"Yeah?"

"Go easy on him. I don't think he means to stay up with you."

Carol gave her a funny look wondering what he was out there for then. T-Dog lay near the end of the group. "Hey, you ready for our shift?" She asked rubbing his shoulder lightly.

He yawned and sat up. "As ready as I'll ever be. Herschel still awake out there?"

They both glanced over to the back door and from what they could see; the old man was standing guard faithfully. It made Carol smile. He reminded her of her Grandfather, though he'd died when she was very young. The door lay beyond where she stood. T-Dog went one way and she stepped out onto the front porch.

* * *

He watched her walk out onto the porch, avoiding that stupid geek of Michonne's and suddenly became a ball of nerves. He felt like an absolute piece of shit for scaring her earlier. Afterward when she'd practically yelled in his face – not many people got away with that - he'd wandered around the side of the building and sat against the wall tryin' to figure things out. He wasn't a figure it out kinda guy. He didn't know nothin' when it came to women, only the violence and darkness that had been his life before what kin he'd had disappeared off the face of the earth. Merle'd been the last link to his past. He'd never wanted to be like his blood relation and had set himself apart from them his whole life. _It could be why we always took it out on you Darylena. You thought you was better than us._ Merle called out in his head. He was getting better at blocking out Merle's voice and replacing it with Carol's. _You're every bit as good as them. _He'd never forget her sayin' that. Despite that, she deserved better than what she'd put up with, with Ed, and also needed someone better than him. At this point though, he'd at least try and make up for what he'd done earlier.

He saw it from where he was, leaning on the porch railing, the subtle roll of her eyes when she looked at him, still wearin' that rose colored ruffled shirt she'd been wearin' earlier, the one with the racer-back tank under it. In fact as much as he liked her new wardrobe, he wasn't sure he liked everyone around camp admirin' her and he wasn't imagining it either.

She took a step off the first step and sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees and at that point he pushed off the rail and walked over to her with the blanket he'd brought out and the coffee he'd made. Kneelin' down next to her, he wrapped the fleece throw around her shoulders and set the coffee next to her.

"I'll go back in and sleep in a minute." He told her, hardly recognizing his own voice when it was quiet – the gruffness stripped away.

Her eyes moved over his, her face close to his cheek. She glanced down at the coffee with the string and paper wrapped around the mug, squinting in the moonlight. Picking it up, she untied the string and unfolded the small piece of tablet paper. Her note from the other day was on the front, and when she flipped it over, she read the back. All he'd written was "I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could think of to write. He hoped it'd be enough.

Her lips began to turn up and he could tell there were tears comin', which was when he wanted to head in. He hated hearin' a woman cry, or worse yet makin' them cry, but she laid her hand on his arm before he could get up off his knees. "Wait I just - " She stopped talkin' before he knew what was happening and pressed her lips to his. She laced her arms around his shoulders, winding her fingers through his hair, hearing the note book paper crinkle in his ear. He found himself pushing into her, tangling his callused fingers into the fabric of that shirt that looked so damned good on her, connecting with the soft skin of her side, her tongue tasting his, the whole thing feelin' right. Her hands started up under his shirt and that was when he froze and backed up quickly. She couldn't go there – he wouldn't let her, not now, maybe not ever.

"Damn, almost wasted the coffee." He griped, pointing to the cup that was teetering close to the edge of the steps in front of where he was crouched. They took a moment to watch each other and he had to wonder what the fuck just happened.

Clearing his throat he looked back through the building spotting T-Dog in the doorway on the other side, facing the yard. Thank Christ he hadn't been watching them. "I'll be right around the corner so just holler if you need anything." He couldn't stand being so backwards about all this.

"I'm – okay. I will." She assured him, at least giving him that, rescuing the coffee and setting it on the other side of her.

Reaching over, he ran his fingers through her soft hair that looked like it might be coming in wavy. His heart beat so loud he swore she'd be able to tell how fucking nervous he was, but that didn't stop him from leaning in and giving her one more kiss – he couldn't help himself, she felt and smelled so fucking good - before he finally went inside. Maybe the nightmares wouldn't haunt him tonight. He could only hope.

He barely slept, he knew he wouldn't with her on watch, but he pretended to at least. Once the sun crept up past the tree line, he grabbed his crossbow, some clean clothes and woke Rick let him know he was going out to hunt and then shower before they left. At least they'd have something to add to their dinner tonight once they got to the prison.

Within an hour he came back with two squirrels and a decent sized doe for the area. It was the biggest kill he'd scored in months. Maybe some of the others didn't want to think that things could get better, but Daryl wasn't the type of person to dwell on it. He just did, and today he was in a better mood than he had been in awhile. T-Dog spotted the deer hanging on the shady side of the building and gave him a big smile. "Looks like we got some dinner to bring 'em."

Daryl gave him a nod, anxious to get in for breakfast and get a feel for how things were gonna go for him and Carol today. Things always seemed to get awkward once they'd been around each other like last night, but when he spotted her at the table with Maggie, she smiled and gave him a wave, taking a bite of powdered eggs. He straddled the chair across from her. "Ya still needa shower? I'll head down with you once you're done." Maggie gave her a smirk that she tried to hide from Daryl, but he noticed Carol bump her leg under the table. "Sure. That'd be fine. Why don't you get somethin' to eat? There's plenty."

She didn't have to tell him twice, he was starving. The thought of venison later was already calling his name, but for now eggs would do.

He joined Lori in the kitchen who was sitting on a stool near the sink. Her bump had started to show, but as with all of them, the stress of livin' the way they had was takin' its toll.

"Ya need to try and eat." He told her quietly. Rick certainly couldn't talk to her about it. Lori was as tricky as he remembered his mama being. Ya never knew whether she was gonna take well to what ya said or whether she'd explode. Today, though it appeared she felt like shit, must've been a better day than the last few. He wasn't sure but he thought he saw a touch of gratitude in her expression.

"I know. Listen. I wanna thank you."

"For what?"

"Standing behind Rick. I just can't right now. I'm just at a loss."

It was clear the guilt of Shane's death was playin' with her mind. He didn't know what else to say so he gave her a quick nod and left with his plate.

"A deer?" Carol asked as they walked to the bathrooms with her things. "That'll be nice to take with us, a thank you gift."

He wasn't sure how to act with her now at all, but he didn't want it to get strange between them. "You're ankle okay?"

"It's still a bit bruised, but - " She sat down on the bench outside the shower stall and took off her boot.

Daryl winced when he saw the purple and yellowish discoloration around her heel and where the blood had pooled down around her toes.

"Looks worse than it feels." She said sliding off a black elastic band and the knives she'd been using for practice lately.

"What the hell is that?" He asked, picking them up and examining the small stitches she'd made in the leather. "Just somethin' I put together."

"Not bad." He mused as she went in the shower area and closed the door. There was a definite change in her lately. He wasn't sure if he was more proud or afraid for her.

When they made it back to the mess hall everything was cleared out and in the cars – Rick and T-Dog had done a quick job, gutting and pulling down the doe, which was wrapped up and strapped to the rack of one of the cars. Everyone was huddled in a group nearby and Daryl wasn't exactly comfortable with all eyes on him and Carol as they joined them.

"I want everyone to listen to what Bud and Jeff have to say once we get there. I will warn you right now, there are walkers there. They are contained in a unit called Cell Block Ten. It's an isolated area and it's watched constantly. It appears once we arrive we can occupy the east wing of the prison. There are offices and conference rooms in that area. Bud and Jeff said they'd be busy making arrangements so we'll all have beds to sleep in. For the first week, at least I want us all to stick to the pairs we've stuck to. No one is to wander off alone without letting me know. In fact as a group I want us all to stick close together."

Daryl caught Andrea's reaction – the exaggerated roll of her eyes. She still didn't want to be anywhere near Rick, and neither did Lori. He could make out her lanky form just behind T-Dog leaning on the hood of the first car.

"I already warned you about the prisoners there. Bud and Jeff have kept them in their cells, and have basically run the place like it would be runnin' if this all hadn't happened. There is a town off to the east not too far. There are walkers, but they've managed to get most of their supplies from that town and make regular runs, I am thinkin' that's what we'll end up doing as well to keep stocked up during the winter months. Alright, let's get movin' and see if this place holds up for us a little better."

Carol hung back just a second before he asked, "You comin' or what?"

She may've been getting more of a backbone but not to the point where she'd lost her manners and it aggravated him that she thought she had to ask. But then the feel of her arms secure around him was a feeling he could easily get used to, where weeks ago, months ago he'd a never even thought about it – woulda cringed.

The weather was sunny and beautiful for a fall day and in less than an hour; the big, gray building loomed ahead. He sensed mixed feelings about it from the entire group, but it had to be better than being sitting ducks on the roadside, or at the camp. He still had hope. How much the others had varied but if none of them held any hope, he wouldn't be here and neither would they.

Jeff was waiting at the gate to let them in and padlocked the gate back up as soon as their caravan came through. He hopped in a silver Chevy pick-up with Bud and took up the rear just behind Daryl's bike, following them into the parking area. He felt Carol pull her arms from around his waist and balance them on his shoulders. She craned her neck behind him, and tried to hop off the bike before he had it stopped.

In a flash of green and blue, she ran past him to the pick-up. Bud was already out the door. "Carol? Carol Peletier, is that you?"

She was bouncing, putting her hands to her mouth and was smiling ear to ear. And was prettier than he'd ever seen her - only the smiles weren't for him.

"Bud? Oh my Lord!"

Daryl swung his leg over the bike and watched with the rest of the group, his throat burning, breakfast threatening to come up, as Bud lifted Carol up off the ground giving her a big, huge hug.


	16. Uncertainty

**Hi! Here is another long chapter – over 3,000 words, which took me since Friday morning to get out of my little noggin. In it we'll find out who Bud is to Carol and get some insights as to how Daryl feels about that and a few other things. I also introduce another important character from the series, but with a twist. I hope you enjoy! If you do and you are able, please leave feedback. I love hearing from you all. Again – I own nothing having to do w/The Walking Dead – show or comic. But quick question, do I own Bud and Jeff? And if so can I trade them in for Norman? LOL!**

Daryl couldn't believe what he was seein'. The tension rolled off him in slow waves and everyone must've noticed. For the first time in a week, Lori looked to Rick. Something went unspoken between them and Rick headed over to the pick-up while Lori walked over to Daryl, with Andrea on her heels. "Why don't we get that deer off the top of the car and get it inside." She suggested gently.

Stress lines popped out on Andrea's face as she watched him clenching his jaw while trying hard not to huff. He didn't wanna do nothin' until he heard know how the hell Carol knew Bud, as he was sure everyone was curious themselves. The car wasn't too far from the truck and he figured on hearing everything that was said, so he made a split second decision not to stalk over, crowd Carol or make a fool of himself. T-Dog and Andrea exchanged looks as they helped him untie the ropes.

"Could be her cousin." T-Dog offered.

Daryl sent him a nasty glare that made T-Dog's hands fly up in defense. "An why do you think I give a two shits?" Daryl barked. Andrea stifled a small grin. "Smirk it up Blondie."

"When Ed and I first married, we lived next door to Bud, his wife, Sylvia and their kids in Atlanta." Carol was telling Rick. One thing about being a tracker and a hunter, Daryl had excellent hearing, so nothing went unnoticed. "And then they moved away. Bud, your daughters? Sylvia?" She asked putting her hand up to her mouth, the sleeve of her green sweater, rolled over her thumb.

The dark haired man put his hands on his hips, his head down and shook it. Carol heaved a sigh, knowing their fate.

"And little Sophia?" He asked, reaching out to touch her arm. Daryl stomach dropped upon hearing her name, but he also realized he hadn't asked about that bastard Ed. She glanced over to where Daryl stood watching them. It was the first she'd looked his way since she'd jumped off his bike.

"Same." She told Bud, holding her head up, putting on her brave face. "Come here; meet the rest of the group. We've been together since we left Atlanta." She, Rick and Bud came over to the car. "Obviously you've met Rick, T-Dog, Andrea, Glenn, and Daryl."

Bud gave them all a little wave and a smile. "This is Lori, Rick's wife, their son Carl, Maggie is over there with Glenn, that's her sister Beth and her father, Herschel." Michonne had wandered past the parking area, completely cloaked; her walker's chained to her. "And you've met Michonne."

Bud gave her a slight nod. "Odd one there, but what isn't odd about these days huh? And if y'all haven't met him already, this is Jeff." The shorter man waved. "He lived in my neighborhood when this whole thing went down. Let's get your things inside and I'll show you where we set your rooms up. There are plenty to choose from."

"We'll be eatin' good tonight." Jeff said patting the deer.

"We can't thank you enough for lettin' us stay here, Bud."

Carol said, as Andrea and Lori fell into step behind them, with him and T-Dog carrying the deer.

"Not a problem. We'll see that you're all safe here, and after dinner you and I can catch up on things." He said putting his arm around Carol, leading her in through the door. Daryl almost threw ass end of the deer in the air so he could have both his hands free to pull Bud away from her, but Lori touched his arm, giving him a look full of warning. "Daryl, stop. If you want to vent, vent to one of us later but don't mess this up." She whispered.

He didn't know why he listened to her, maybe it was because she had a hold of her belly and he knew everyone's safety depended on them staying there. Now it was obvious to everyone how he felt when he was really only beginning to understand it himself. There she walked, up ahead of him, oblivious to it all. She'd found someone – a connection to her past, and it appeared to be a good one. He'd had nothing once Merle disappeared and it hadn't mattered then. Why should it matter now?

After a quick visit to the east wing of the prison where they'd be bunking, everyone gathered in the kitchen. Carol had at least made sure her room was the one next to Daryl's, heeding Rick's instructions that they should remain paired up with whom they'd been paired up with since fleeing the farm.

The ladies went to work right away on the deer and squirrels adding what they could to the pantry that they'd taken from camp, while the men took a walk down to Cell Block Two, which was where Bud and Jeff kept the remaining three prisoners.

"All the paper work was mixed up when we got here, so we aren't sure what they're in for." Bud was saying. Daryl gripped his crossbow tightly waiting for him to ask more about Carol's time with the group, willing himself not to snap on the guy. "This here is Mark." Bud said, pointing into one of the cells at a young man in his mid twenties.

Mark pulled himself up to the bars and scowled at the men looking in at him. "What's for dinner tonight Bud?"

"We have some new people staying with us; remember I told ya the other day they were comin'? They brought us some venison."

The kid licked his lips and slid away to lie on his bed. It looked as though they'd been taken good care of them, Daryl thought scanning the area, but almost like they'd just given the place a good cleanin', like when he used to work at the foundry and they'd hurry to get everythin' put away before a tour come through.

"This guy here is Gunther." Jeff said, as they came to a stop in front of another cell. Gunther lay on his back, reading a book, barely acknowledging the group.

"I heard." He said. "Venison."

The last cell's occupant was a large black man, a little taller and thinner than T-Dog. "This is Tyreese." Jeff said. "He doesn't talk much."

Daryl stared in between the bars and met the man's eyes. It might've been the lighting but for the first time, somethin' didn't feel right. He just couldn't make the connection as to what it was, but believin' everything would be fine there was foolish. He'd never let his guard down in the past, came from bein' screwed over time and time again. Gettin' time to talk with Carol alone would be tough but he intended to try later that night. He wanted to know more about this Bud character.

In the kitchen Lori, Carol and Maggie had dinner almost ready. "Where are Michonne and Andrea?" Rick asked when they all entered the cobblestone kitchen. It looked like all the appliances had been upgraded recently, but Bud had told them they'd been using the small olive colored stove top and oven off in the corner that looked like it'd come straight outta the 1970's, to conserve what energy they had.

"We still need to get the rest of that meat packed away after we eat. I think everyone is just so hungry so I figured it could wait." Carol told them as she rushed to set the table.

Bud came up behind her, setting his hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you sit down, we're used to doing all this. Come on, Jeff," He said, gesturing to the men too. "Why don't we give the gal's a break tonight since they cooked up this food for us?"

Rick had already been watching Daryl, and nodded to him at Bud's suggestion. "T-Dog, can ya please go tell Andrea and Michonne to get down here?"

Daryl made sure he laid his vest over the bench at the long, industrial-sized dinner table next to where Carol was sitting and propped his crossbow up against that, watching Bud's reaction as he did. The man furrowed his brow for a second, as if trying to figure out what point Daryl was trying to make, but then continued on prepping to serve dinner.

"Feel like we're bein' spoiled." Carol said to Lori, Maggie and Beth. It was plain as the looks on their faces they all felt a bit strange about it. "This is a one-time thing, Bud we can handle it from now on." She told him.

Bud let his smile seem pleasant enough as he served her up a plate of venison, gravy, canned vegetables and potato patties Maggie had made from instant potatoes. Daryl passed dinner out as quickly as he could so he could get to Carol first, but found Bud watching him again and realized the man was in no hurry to race him to the bench. When Daryl took his place next to her, she visibly relaxed; reaching for his hand under the table, but the day had already taken its toll on Daryl. He gave her a slight shake of his head and quickly pulled his hand away. Not because her action surprised him this time, or maybe it had, but more because he didn't want anything to stand out to Bud about them anymore than he'd done already. He didn't like the vibe that was comin' off the guy just because he'd made a point to take his place at the table next to her. It was one time he wished he could give her a look, the way Rick did Lori and there'd just be an understanding gone between them, but that wasn't gonna be.

She placed her hand on the water bottles that'd been passed around and lifted it up. "I'd like to thank Bud and Jeff here for allowing us to stay with them for the safety of our group."

Rick piggy-backed on her thoughts, "Yes, we are real appreciative of your hospitality."

Darkness took over the prison shortly after the dishes had been washed up. Daryl was surprised Bud hadn't objected to the women washin' up after supper. Their evening consisted of a tour of the library where he'd cleaned and waxed his crossbow in the corner, while watching Bud and Carol catch up and tell stories about life in the neighborhood they used to live in years ago. Carol would sneak a peek at him every now and then and every time he'd look away. She'd be afraid of him pullin' away from the group again and in a sense he had, but not for the same reasons as before. This time it was to keep a clear head of what was goin' on around them. The prison itself he saw as a safe haven. What lay inside it – and he wasn't even thinkin' of the hoard of walkers in Cell Block Ten – wasn't right.

"We've stocked up on oil lamps on our last run into that town not too far from here and we've been using them to conserve the fuel we have left for the generator." Bud said, leading them all back to the east wing. "There are lamps and lighters in each of your rooms. Plenty of blankets to keep warm but when the weather gets colder, we might have to spend a few nights in the library – there's that huge fireplace in there that y'all seen earlier."

Daryl had kept his mouth shut for most've the day, but somethin' peaked his curiosity while he walked shoulder to shoulder with Carol down the narrow hallway behind Bud. "Where'd you and Jeff sleep?"

Bud glanced behind him, the lamp he carried lighting up his face, making his grin change from friendly to bizarrely frightening within seconds. "Just up the hall from y'all. Wanna warn ya, the wind can get whippin' this side of the building. It'll get howlin' pretty good some nights."

Carol paused by her door watching the rest of the group spread out and head into their rooms on each side of the hallway. Daryl hung back too, as their rooms were the nearest to the entryway of the hall. He could see Rick pause outside the door Lori and Carl went into before actually going inside and Maggie sneaking a kiss from Glenn before she went in her room with Beth.

He hung back near his door as long as he possibly could, feeling Carol behind him and he decided he'd stand there all night if he had to until she went inside her room and closed the door. Finally he heard it click shut from behind him. He wasn't sure whether she'd been waiting for him to say somethin' or whether she was watchin' for that bastard Bud to come back, to do some more catchin' up. He stood there for a few more minutes before closing his own door and setting his crossbow on the desk next to the small twin bed. He started lighting his lamp and looked over, realizing their rooms were connected by another door. Underneath he could see the light from her lamp flickering and he set his ear to the door hearing that she hadn't settled in for the night just yet.

Looking down he saw that the shadow of her feet were at the door, perhaps she'd heard him behind it. Then came her meek knock. The knob turned without her waiting for him to respond and she opened the door to face him with the light flickering behind her.

"Can't sleep yet." She told him holding a book in her hand, trying for casual conversation.

He was at a loss for words as usual, but what he'd worried about since touring the cells came to mind rather quickly. "'Spose it's a good thing you came across Bud today." He put out there, tryin' to get a feel for what she was thinkin' before he lead into to what was really on his mind.

She let out a breath – a huff or a sigh, he couldn't decipher. "He and his wife were good to me long ago when life with Ed, well, you know."

"And now?"

She crossed her arms, thinking about it. "I don't know Daryl. I'm not naive anymore. What's happened tends to change people, in good ways, in bad ways. It's been eight years since I last saw him."

"I'll tell ya what I think." He brought his arm up leaning in on the doorway and instinctively she moved backwards. "S'alright." He told her quietly, wincing because it was so easy for her to flinch. "I just don't wanna see - "

"Don't wanna see what? Daryl if you're implyin'- "

"I ain't implyin' nothin'!" He hissed, backing up too.

She reached out and touched his arm. "Stop. If you are worried about it - my loyalties lie with you Daryl, I – I mean the group."

This time he didn't think it through; he just cupped her cheeks and pushed his lips into hers. She started taking her sweater off, so he went on instinct and ran his hands down her bare arms, pulling her against him in the doorway. She let out a small moan as her breasts pressed up against his chest, when a knock came from the other door.

"Quick, get back in your room, shut the door." She whispered, palm on his chest, pushing him back. "I'll get rid of whoever it is."

"I know damned well who it is." Daryl cussed as the door shut in his face. Once she let the bastard in, he stood by the door with his ear to it. Their voices were muffled through the thick wood, but she did as she'd said and was back to the door within a minute or two. "Sorry about that."

He waited, but when she didn't say anymore he pushed for what he wanted to know, "What did he want?"

She took a deep breath, looked off to the side as if she were embarrassed and said, "He wanted to meet me before breakfast for a walk so we could catch up."

"Thought you did that in the library tonight." Daryl said, his eyes narrowing.

"I told him it'd been a long few weeks and we could go after breakfast. Something didn't feel right about being awake and alone with him before everyone else - ." She stopped talking and fiddled with the top button on her sweater.

"You don't have to go at all." Daryl told her.

"I want to." She held out her hand, "But not for the reasons you're thinking.

"You're gettin' the same feelin' I am, aren't cha?"

She nodded. "Can't quite figure it out." She said, yawning while she spoke.

"Is your door locked?" He asked, no that the bastard didn't have keys for them all.

She nodded slowly.

"Well why don'tcha get some rest." He gestured toward her bed. Slowly she walked toward it and climbed under the covers with her boots on.

When he gave her a funny look she returned it with a smile. "No such thing as too prepared."

He lay on top of his covers for a little bit, the door was still open and the flame from her lamp was turned down just enough to make out her face in the dim, yellow light.

"You warm enough?" He asked.

"I guess." She replied.

He sighed and got up pushing his bed against the open door, and stood watching her for a moment. "Well, what'cha waitin' for? Push yours over here."

She slowly got out of hers and pushed it against the door to meet his. They both climbed back into their beds and faced each other through the doorway. "Probably be a good idea keepin' a distance from one another if we can – in front of Bud, I mean." He said.

Her eyes were getting sleepy. "I feel the same as you. Weird vibes." She reached for his hand.

He took a moment looking at her outstretched fingers and then into her eyes, and latched onto it with his. "Get some sleep." Tonight, just knowin' they were on the same page, he thought for sure he might finally be able to.


	17. Detective Work

**Hello! Here's Chapter 17. This one was fun to write because you'll see Daryl wrestle with how he feels but through Carol's perspective, then some team work and on to the end...of the chapter. Not sure how long this story is gonna be yet. Having too much fun with it. Thank you for all the reviews and for the messages. It means so very much to me and really makes my day! Again or as always, I own none of TWD characters or settings or anything related to it, show or comic. I was however informed I do own Bud and Jeff - 1 more and I can make a trade for Norman! ;) Would that ever make my life. Hahahaha! Thanks again, Kat**

Slowly she opened her eyes, but remained still trying to get her bearings, having slept in three different places in the past week. The morning light hadn't filtered through their windows just yet but it was getting ready to.

It used to be her favorite time of day. When Sophia had been younger and Ed was still asleep she'd sneak out of bed and lay next to her daughter, pondering how to escape the hell they lived in – the hell that'd she'd put them in. But she'd cherished those moments. And for a second she almost felt Sophia there with her. Daryl was curled towards her on his side and she found she still liked this hour until he frowned in his sleep. Somehow they'd lost each other's hands in the night, but his head was over on her pillow through the doorway and she was close enough to smell the scent of his hair.

"Sophia!" He called out, and it made her skin prickle with goose bumps. And then softer, "No Carol, Merle don't you fuckin' touch - " His fist hit the pillow near her head. Same kinda thing that woke her at the house they'd been trapped in, before she'd crept out into the hallway and found the walker. It was just like Andrea had told her too. Daryl had nightmares when he allowed himself actually sleep. At the house she'd waited for him to settle, but today, after he'd given the pillow a good whack, his hand connected with her shoulder and caressed it. "Carol." He murmured, still mostly asleep.

This time she leaned into him, brushing her hand over his. "I'm here, so'kay." She whispered brushing his temple with her lips. His arm slid down from her shoulder around her waist making everything tingle. _Is he even awake enough to know what he's doing?_ She wondered.

He pushed with his feet and eased through the doorway over her, leaning on one muscled arm, gliding his lips over hers, their breath hot between his mouth and hers. She arched upward, kissing him back, - their most erotic kiss thus far. His hand left hers and slid up and down her arm before he hesitated and placed his palm on her hip bone, pressing down, murmuring against her lips. "Too thin. Need ta eat more."

Their feet were still separated by the stupid wall, but his pelvis was right against her other hip and she could feel how hard he was. Her nerves were already wrought, frayed. He was such a complicated man, but she decided that no matter how he reacted to this afterwards, she wanted it to happen, right here, right now. "I want you." She whispered, sliding her hands over his back feeling the tight muscles through his shirt. The heat between her legs was unbearable.

He was more awake now, continuing to kiss her, his mouth moving down her jaw and her neck, but she could feel him start to tremble, just slightly. When he pulled back, she watched as his eyes shut tight and finally he moved her out from underneath him, laying his head next to hers on the pillow. "I know." He told her without looking her in the eye.

She couldn't stand it. "What? Daryl did I say somethin' wrong?"

He simply shook his head, telling her she hadn't. She reached out wondering if he'd let her take his hand at least. He was shutting her out again but then it registered. His first kiss had been with her at camp just the other night. He was new to all of this. _How was that possible? _Before she could ponder it any further, they heard the knock at the door – her door.

"What in the world?" She whispered, glancing at him, watching his expression grow dark. She groaned and rolled out of bed, dragging it with her away from the door so she could close it. "I'll be right there." She called, trying to sound sleepy. This was the second time they'd been interrupted and the second time she'd had to close the door in Daryl's face.

It wasn't surprising seeing Bud on the threshold when she opened the door. "Bud," She yawned, rubbing pretend sleep from her eyes. "I thought I said last night that I needed to rest. That I'd see ya later, after breakfast."

Bud tilted his head letting a touch of embarrassment cross his sharp features. "I just got done with watch, thought maybe there'd be a chance you'd changed your mind." His brown eyes gave away the fact that he wasn't really embarrassed. He'd meant to come wake her up.

"Well, I'm still half asleep. I'll see you later like I told you, after breakfast." She said firmly, watching his large shoulders grow an inch taller with the deep breath that he took. His eyes wandered to where her bed was closer to the door than where it had been.

She tried closing her door but he stopped her with his words. "Rearranging the furniture?"

Her shoulders came up, shrugging. "It was chilly and I found a warm spot."

"Yeah the place can get drafty. I'll catch ya later." She caught the smugness in his tone. "Get back to sleep if ya can. If not I'll be down the end of the hall if ya change your mind."

She nodded, feeling sick to her stomach and shut the door. This man's wife was recently dead, his girls were gone too, but it looked like he'd set his sights on the old friend he thought he had in her. She'd been thrilled to see him yesterday, perhaps a little overzealous because she'd never expected to run into anyone she knew from before the walkers. But as last evening wore on, she'd pulled bits and pieces from her memories – the ones that weren't marred by everything that had happened with Ed.

Daryl was in the room the second she clicked the door shut. "What the hell now?"

Carol rolled her eyes. "Came back from watch and wanted to see if I changed my mind."

"Wasn't too concerned about ya needin' rest. What do ya remember 'bout him?" He paced in front of where she sat on the bed. She could see he was still tired, but wound up over Bud coming to her door twice within the past eight hours.

"That's just it Daryl, I don't remember much. Life was such hell back then and I was tryin' my best to keep Sophia safe. I've tried thinkin' back to what he was like, but Sylvia and I were closer and Ed didn't like me bein' close to anyone. The most I remember they had their problems too. Nothin' like what I was goin' through, but she had her complaints with him."

"Persistent fucker." He muttered, sitting down next to her. She watched him run his hands through his hair wishing they hadn't been interrupted.

"Is that all?" She asked him. "I mean what do you think?"

"Other than him havin' his hands all over ya, you mean?"

She tried not to smile, but when she felt her lips go up, she turned her head away. Daryl was jealous and that was a teeny bit amusing. The last time someone was jealous over her was back in high school.

"The third prisoner, Tyreese. Somethins' funny with him. I been around Merle when he's on drugs enough to know when someone's on them."

"After all this time, he wouldn't have drugs hidden in his cell, would he?" Carol asked.

"I had a different thought all together. S'why I wanted to know more about Bud at least. I figure on goin' downstairs to find the files on the prisoners today, if there are any."

"I'll go for that walk with him after breakfast. That'll keep him distracted."

"No." He said sharply, but he kept his voice down. "You ain't goin' nowhere with him alone."

"Sorry." She brought her sweater around her shoulders.

"Don't haveta be sorry." He griped.

"What happened to keeping our distance from each other?" She asked, wondering why he'd changed his mind about that.

"This mornin' - " He started.

Carol pulled herself back on the bed so she could see him better. He didn't wanna look at her.

"This mornin', what?"

"I changed my mind is all. I don't care what he thinks." Daryl said, turning to watch her finally.

Carol sighed and looked away, the flutters starting again, low in her belly. She wasn't sure what it all meant but if he didn't want her takin' a walk with Bud later she'd make an excuse not to.

Breakfast came and went with Daryl posing as her shadow. If anyone noticed they didn't say a word. Their group had been used to the two of them teaming up as it was.

When Bud approached her after breakfast, Rick stepped in and asked Bud to take him to the post on the roof where he and the others would soon start taking night watch shifts. The odd look on Daryl's face made her wonder when or if he'd found the time to talk to Rick or if this was just dumb luck.

"We'll talk later Carol." Bud said over his shoulder.

"I don't think so." Daryl hollered after him.

Bud gave him a quick, puzzled look and then a hard stare, but continued on with Rick. Carol leaned on over the counter, trying not to giggle.

Maggie was the only person left in the kitchen besides them. "You got them dishes handled?" Daryl asked her.

Maggie nodded over her shoulder winking at Carol. She gave her a wave back on their way out of the kitchen.

"Jeff took T-Dog and Michonne into town. We need to get to the first floor offices, down below our rooms. That's where the files'll be."

She followed him down the stairs admiring the way the crossbow fit snug over his shoulders. He didn't go far without it. It was so much a part of him. She had to untangle herself from what was going on between her and Daryl and focus. He seemed better able to do that. This was serious, and they had to be in and out when it came to going through the files, before Bud came back down from the roof with Rick.

The desk near the doors to the offices had papers littered all over it and more that had fallen on the floor. Dozens of muddy footprints tracked up the stairway past the chained, padlocked doors and around the desk. In several spots they found where there'd been a struggle, spattered blood on the aqua colored walls, car keys, and more paper.

"Looks like they haven't gotten to cleanin' this area up yet." She said, noticing something shiny sticking out from under the corner of the desk. "Daryl, did you say that prisoner's name was Tyreese?"

He glanced around the room nodding and then came to her side as she placed the badge in his hand. "Where did you find it?" She pointed to the corner of the desk and he gave a sweeping motion with his hand, having her step back. "What do you see?"

At first she just saw the mess, but then it all came into focus. He pointed to the blood smear on the top corner of the desk, the wrinkled papers on the floor.

"Someone put up a fight here." She stated. If anyone would see the tell tale signs it'd be the two of them.

He signaled to her, crooking his finger as they approached the first office, which was locked. He took a small knife out of his back pocket, fiddled with the keyhole for a moment before turning the knob and holding the door wide open. Immediately she began rooting through the desk that lay beyond the door. He went to the filing cabinets. "What were the other two names?" She asked.

"I only have first names, Mark and Gunther." He told her, quietly scanning through folders.

They made it through two offices before Daryl thought he found the first file. "I'm going to check the hallway. Someone might be lookin' for us. We've been gone awhile." She said. He gave a little grunt, immersed in the file spread out on the desk.

Once she stood in the hallway for a minute or two, she peeked back in to check on him.

"Er'thin' okay?" He asked looking up at her briefly.

She gave him a quick nod, but then heard the footsteps. "Daryl lock yourself in, quick. Someone's coming. Meet me in the library in an hour." There wasn't enough time say anymore or to get back in there and hide with him, so she began walking down the hallway toward the sound of the footsteps.

"Carol Peletier. What'cha doin' down here all by yourself?" Bud asked heading in her direction, but also scoping out the hallway behind her, which made her turn as well, prayin' Daryl was safe in the office with the door locked. She put on a straight face and tried to seem unaffected by being caught wandering around alone, when she wasn't supposed to be.

"Don't say nothin', I just needed some breathing room and wound up down here by accident."

Her words didn't stop him from checking the locks on the doors to the first four offices, which was what she'd feared he'd do. When he found all four locked and secured, listening for a moment, his mouth went from a grimace to a smile. Her breakfast did a summersault in her stomach. "Looks like this place needs some cleanin' up. Maybe sometime this winter the girls and I could come down with some supplies, pick up, mop?"

"We'll see." He answered his calm demeanor back in check. "Come on." His arm went around her shoulder and she inwardly groaned, but she was glad Daryl was tucked away in the office unable to see. "Where'd that redneck friend of yours go? He was trailin' behind you like a lost puppy at breakfast."

Something inside her snapped when he called Daryl that. "His name is Daryl. I'm not sure where he went off to." She wrenched away from him. "He's been an asset to our group, and did all he could to help find my Sophia, as I told you last night."

Bud smiled, apologetically. "I know, I'm sorry. It just seems like he - "

"Bud, I appreciate you lookin' out for me but I've been with my group longer than the amount of time I ever spent with you. Now let's get outta here. I'll talk to the girls about getting' this area fixed up soon." She glanced sideways and there was that grimace again, it gave her the willies as Sophia would've said. There was no way she was letting Bud out of her sight until she knew Daryl was safe in the library. This was going to be a long hour.


	18. Near Panic

**Hi, sorry for the delay, but had a horrible migraine yesterday so I slowly created this looonnnngggg chapter. It's the longest one I've done, but it's full of action, and some angst. I hope you enjoy and review! Thank you for the reviews and messages! They encourage me and keep me going. I am in love with Daryl and Carol, if you couldn't tell. Hell, I've been in love with love since I can remember. I don't own anything concerning TWD so nothing's changed...or read on...maybe something has. LOL! Kat**

He heard their voices fade down the hallway and rose up from behind the desk. Rick promised he'd keep him tied up as long as he could, but without having the chance to tell him why, he probably assumed Daryl was just bein' jealous. His ear had been glued to the door when Carol piped up and defended him, not that he deserved it. She deserved better - he knew that and she did too. But it was a battle he'd fought for too long now. That woman had gotten under his skin somethin' awful. There was a part of him that was glad Bud interrupted earlier because that meant he wouldn't haveta do any explainin', it also made it clear that Bud intended on having Carol. There was no way he was gonna allow him to lay claim to her like she was his personal property. That's when he realized how much he wanted her, hell who was he kiddin'? He was only foolin' himself. It'd happened long before that. It just fucked with his mind too much. He rubbed a hand over his forehead.

The woman had a keen eye on her though. There were advantages to having been damaged one way or another in one's past. It'd help keep her alive in the coming days, months, hopefully years.

The idea of her babysittin' Bud while he went about his business in the tiny office irked him, but the folder that lay before him belonged to Mark Chambers. Mark's fingerprints, photo ID and everything that he'd want to know about him was in the file – the file that Bud and Jeff said they couldn't find. He was willin' to bet it wouldn't take much more digging to find Gunther's info neither. He thumbed the badge in his hands. Finding Tyreese's info would most likely be impossible, at least in the prisoner's files. Looks like their new 'friends' were holding a security guard hostage.

It took him another ten minutes to locate Gunther's information. He tucked both files in his waistband and pulled his shirt over them. Tyreese's badge went into his pants pocket. He would find Carol first and then Rick.

The hallway was quiet all the way out to the lobby. Beth and Maggie were the first people he spotted near the wash room, takin' care of laundry. "Carol and Bud go by?"

"Yeah 'bout twenty minutes ago?" Maggie told him, lookin' up from the scrub board.

"I heard her ask him to take her up on the roof." Beth said, meekly.

He tried to control the momentary panic, but failed. "What?" He felt his eyes narrow and his heart rev up inside his chest. Ignoring the girls questioning looks, he took off on a dead run up the nearest stairway. There were a few ways to get to the roof. All but two were chained; he got to one of the sealed entrances, took a right turn, heading down a narrow hallway and found the one they must've used. He peeked through the opening in the steel door wondering what the fuck she was thinkin'. She knew there was somethin' messed up goin' on and to head up on the roof with him was plain stupid. The adrenaline rush slowed when he spotted her sitting on a half wall with a bottle of water near Glenn. Then he remembered that they were starting shift watches this afternoon. Daryl debated on going down to the library and just meeting her as planned but he pushed the door open a bit further and scanned the roof, wondering where Bud was.

Carol turned at the sound of the door squeaking. Finding he was still a bit pumped up over bein' worried about her, he walked over and pointed at her. "Thought you were headin' down to the library. What'd you do get lost?"

She stood up, grabbed the bottle of water, and crossed her arms. "I - " She started, "You think there's somethin' interesting I need to read?" He knew she meant the files.

Glenn shook his head. "You two confuse me."

Daryl glanced his way. "Join the club." He gestured toward the door. "Come on." He told her. Once they reached the hallway, he made sure all was clear. "We need to find Rick."

"Tyreese isn't a prisoner, is he?"

He held his finger to his lips quieting her. "Where'd your friend get to? Did you come up here with him?"

"I started to – but we ran into Rick and he needed him for somethin'."

"No more goin' anywhere with him. Got it?" He realized it wasn't her fault but he wanted to get his point across.

Her lips formed into a thin line of frustration, but she nodded. "They should be down in the shower room."

When she didn't follow him after he started down the steps, he looked back over his shoulder. "You comin', I'll need ya."

"If you'd just tell me what you found."

"Damnit, no sense in going over it twice. Come on."

In a rush she pushed past him, huffing a little as she went, knocking his crossbow cock-eyed. "Hey, you watch yourself." When she glared back at him and kept going he smirked. Two or three months ago she would've taken a walker bite before standing her ground. He glanced down at her ass in the tight jeans she was wearing and his smirk grew. A rectangle marked one of the back pockets. Had to be that notebook from the house that night, which brought the night itself rushing back, the danger they'd been in and how the danger never seemed to ease up.

Rick was where she said he'd be, working on the main water line in the shower room. "Where's Bud?" Daryl asked, eyes wandering the room.

"Went down to the maintenance room to see if we had anymore putty to stop this leak."

"We got ourselves a situation." Daryl said.

Rick's jaw tensed, bracing for whatever Daryl was gonna say. They'd all been through so much as it was. When he was done Rick was pacing with his arms up behind his head. "You knew him. Is he capable of something like this?" He asked Carol.

Carol brought her hands up. "It's like I've told Daryl, my life was hell with Ed, but Bud and his wife, Sylvia had their troubles. And judging by his actions since we got here, I would say – yeah." She looked over to Daryl and he could tell she was nervous giving her opinion, but damnit, she did it. He gave her a nod of encouragement.

"Alright." He said, crossing the room and closing the door. "We need to warn our people. No messing around like we did with Randall. You saw where that got us. T-Dog and Michonne are with Jeff, we just have to hope they make it back safely."

"That Michonne's one crazy bitch. And T-Dog, he's held his own for awhile now. They'll be fine." Daryl said.

Rick paced. "We don't have much time, he's supposed to be right back. I'll stay with him. Gather the group in a central area – the library and meet me back here in a half an hour."

Carol dogged him as they followed Rick's orders. "Daryl, it's not that I like Bud, but are ya even gonna ask him about it before you go doin' somethin' to him?"

Daryl stopped, knowin' they didn't have much time. "Talk is cheap."

"What if they had a reason for what they did?"

He wanted to ignore her, but instead, not knowing why, he gave her one more second of his time, settling his hand on her arm. "Trust the first answer you gave Rick. You know better than anyone and not just 'cause you knew him 'fore us."

She shook her head yes, taking a deep breath. "Let's go get the others."

Before she could take another step, a steel door opened next to where they were walking and she was pulled out of his grip, not even having the chance to scream.

"Fuck, Carol!" He yelled as the door slammed shut and the lock clicked. His knife opened the doors downstairs, so he tried that, but something blocked it from even going into the keyhole. Rick found him five minutes later kicking the door, barely leaving making a dent.

"He fucking grabbed her." Daryl yelled, punching the door.

"Stand back." Rick shouted, pulling his gun out, shooting the lock. Daryl was through it before anything more time ticked by, but heard Rick say he was going to get the others.

What the fuck was he gonna do? He'd lost his brother, failed Sophia. It was by chance and luck that they made it out of that house alive the other night. They'd been here less than twenty-four hours and something else happened.

He saw movement up ahead, aimed his bow, but it turned out to be Glenn. "Don't shoot!" He yelled with his hands up in front of him.

"Are they on the roof?" Daryl yelled.

"Yes, what the hell is going on?"

"Rick's got everyone in the library. Go."

Glenn squeezed by him, handing him his gun as he went. "Here, you're gonna need this."

He rushed through the open door onto the roof, eyes darting everywhere, not seeing her anywhere. It was déjà-vous just like with Merle only no trace of either one of them. Fighting the urge to scream, he scanned the rooftop, looking all the way around the perimeter on the ground. When he made it around once and checked all the small areas that he could be hiding her in, Rick walked through the door. Daryl had his bow half raised, thinkin' it was Bud.

"Come with me." He said; his voice sounding grave.

"What – Rick just fuckin' tell me." He said pacing, panic fully taking over him now.

"Come on. She needs you."

Those words. _She needs you_. He ran them through his mind a second time.

"She's alive?" He wanted to know for sure, but Rick was walking away quickly and he had no choice, so he followed him.

In a hallway he hadn't taken, they found Carol sitting against the wall, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees and Bud slumped over beside her, one of the knives she carried embedded deep in his right eye. One sleeve of her sweater was soaked with blood, and she had a tight grip on the edge of it.

He knelt down in front of her, "You hurt?"

She looked him in the eyes, which was good. She wasn't in shock or anything. "J-Just shaken up." She replied, but the blood around the edge of her sweater looked too fresh, too wet. Taking her arm gently, he tried peeling the knit material back, and she winced, pulling her hand away. "She's cut, pretty bad." He told Rick. "Got just a quick look at it, but it's gonna need stitches."

She started to get up but fell back against the wall.

"Easy, easy." Rick said, crouching next to Daryl.

"Just squeeze the sweater tight 'till you catch your breath. We'll get you taken care of."

He could see the deep breaths she was taking and the tension easing off, now that they were there.

"I h-hope T-Dog and M-michonne are okay." She said, stammering.

"You cold?" Daryl asked.

She nodded.

"Wanna try gettin' up again?"

Another nod.

* * *

The library and the concern in the faces of the group she held dear were the most welcome sights but she couldn't erase the thought of what could've happened and what did. That little nagging voice inside her head asking, now that it was over, if she could've done anything differently. She hadn't started her day out with the thought that she would kill Bud. He'd only been a little bit pesky, nothing like he'd been when he'd grabbed her.

Maggie sat beside her, cleaning the large slice between her thumb and trigger finger, while Herschel and Rick hunted down a first aid kit.

"It'll be fine." She reassured herself thinking of how deep the cut was. She'd landed in such a way on Bud as he fell that her hand had slipped beyond the handle of the knife and her thumb was already numb.

Daryl paced back and forth between the couch and the fire place.

"What's going on?" Glenn asked, voicing the entire group's concerns. Daryl shot him a look, grumbling to himself. They both needed a minute and she prayed Rick and Herschel would take their time, despite the pain that was setting in her hand.

"Wait 'till Rick gets back." She told Glenn. "There are a few things he said before, well before it all happened that we all need to know."

Daryl snapped his head around to look at her, marched over to the couch and sat down hard next to Maggie, who was trying to hold her hand steady. "Daryl, you're not helpin'." She complained.

"I'm okay." She assured him.

He ran his hands through his hair, got up and stalked back to the mantle again, looking up to see Rick and Herschel. "'Bout time."

The tendon needed repairing, and the stitches had to be done without the luxury of anything to numb the area. Finally Daryl calmed down enough, seeing her in that much agony that he sat on the floor in front of her and held her other hand, though it took Lori suggesting it.

"He and Jeff are – were in contact with a man." Carol said, touching the gauze covering her wound. "Another group of survivors."

Rick was the first to ask, "Does this other group know where this place is?"

"I don't think so. They were making trades for supplies. Men from the prison. If they knew, Bud and Jeff wouldn't be here. They were down to the last three and - "

"And then we got here." Daryl finished for her.

"The girls, he said would bring them in much more but he said he was thinkin' once all of you were gone he'd keep me here for himself." She felt nauseous at the thought.

Everyone looked at one another. "T-Dog and Michonne." Andrea said.

"I think they'll be okay." Rick said, trying to keep everyone calm. We need to be ready at the doors when they get back." Glenn, Herschel, Daryl and Andrea stood. "Lori, take everyone else to the kitchen."

The wait was killing her. She kept thinking of how freaked Daryl had been when she'd gone missing. How he'd kicked at the door until Bud had her out of earshot. Both of her arms were bruised, on her forearm from where Daryl had tried to keep her with him and the other from where Bud had pulled her through the door. She'd mulled it over and over it in her mind why he'd taken her and why he'd told her what he and Jeff had planned. Apparently they'd decided they would make their move on the group within the next day or two. "No sense in wastin' time." He'd told her. There were enough cells to hold them all.

Everyone around her was keeping busy getting what they could around for dinner. No one said much, all a bundle of nerves waiting for the sound of gunfire or the next crazy thing to happen. She steadied herself at the table as she stood to go help at the counter.

"Oh no you don't." Lori said, putting her arm around her. "We got it handled for tonight."

The wait was shorter than they expected. It had only been forty-five minutes when they all came back in the kitchen with T-Dog and Michonne.

"What happened?" Carol asked.

"Bastard tried pullin' shit once they got in town." Daryl told her as he walked by.

"He was getting' ready to pass us off to two other men."

T-Dog crowed. "Had my gun and Michonne took care of the other two."

They all sat down to a tense dinner after the day's events. There was a body to dispose of and a security guard they needed to tend to, as well as feed the other two prisoners in their care. Rick went over the files with everyone while Maggie, Beth and Lori did the dishes in between.

All the while Carol's eyes kept feeling heavy. Herschel had given her some mild pain killers but they'd always knocked her out. Soon she heard a whisper from Beth and felt herself being picked up and carried away; at that point she didn't care where she felt so far from the prison.

When she woke up a few hours later, she smelled the sweet scent of his arm around her. He touched her brow with the pad of his thumb. "You feelin' any pain? I got some more of those pills Herschel gave me for ya."

She put her hand up in surrender, the room still spinning. "No, no more pills. I'm fine. Just thirsty."

He shifted, not letting her go, reaching for something on his side. She never thought the crinkling of a full water bottle could sound so good. "Here ya go."

She sat up to take a long gulp and saw that his bed was in her room right up against hers. He was sitting propped up next to her by a single pillow. "Have you even slept?" She wondered out loud putting her clumsy, huge bandaged hand to her head. "Ouch."

"Head or yer hand?"

"Hand, head, I don't know. The meds always mess me up. Sorry. How is Tyreese?" She hadn't met the man yet, but remembered he'd been the big topic of discussion over dinner.

"Hershel says he'll be fine. He needs to detox. You hungry? You never touched your supper."

"Daryl, stop fussin."

"Only if you stop scarin' the shit outta me." He warned gently, his voice coming out raw. "I wanted ta ask once you woke up, and tell me the truth. Did he touch you?"

She lifted her head up to look him in the eyes. "No, he didn't, not really, not that he wouldn't of. He got pushy when he got me out on the roof. I managed to calm him down and get him talkin'. It was a tactic I used with Ed. I knew I'd be safer off the roof, so I walked back inside and he followed me down the hall." She felt the tears comin'.

That was when Bud had made his move, huggin' on her and put a hand between her legs, but she'd found that when she reached for one of the knives strapped to her ankle, it gave her a perfect opportunity to knee him where it counted. "I went for the knife." She told him wiping at tears as they fell. "And I stabbed him. Yesterday I was so glad to see someone I used to know."

Daryl's arms had tensed as she went on with the story but now they eased up. She knew he didn't know what to say and it was over – she was okay. "Did you bring anything up to eat? The meds make me woozy but maybe some crackers?"

"I do ya one better than that." He said reaching back over to where he'd gotten the water bottle and brought out a few slices of fresh bread Beth and Maggie had made.

She scooted up, sitting next to him. He took the pillow from behind him and had her sit up, placing it behind her so she had two. "I oughta get hurt more often." She grinned to herself, not having been spoiled in years.

Daryl gave her one of his glares so she made the grin more subtle, biting into the bread, hoping it wouldn't come back up later. He made her take another pill before she lay back down with him. Either way – if he slept or if he didn't, she wouldn't wake up to his nightmares tonight and she wasn't sure she wanted to.


	19. Night Terrors

**Hi! It's been a busy weekend but here is the next chapter! Thank you to some of my new readers as well as those who have followed this story since I started it. I hope you enjoy! I own nothing regarding TWD, comic or show. Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there! Kat**

The next few weeks flew by. The group busied themselves helping Tyreese detox and learned he'd been running the place months before Bud and Jeff had shown up. It'd been Tyreese who'd had a big hand in rounding up the dead in Cell Block Ten. Once he'd done the dirty work the two men had shown up looking for shelter.

None of them were naive enough to believe that another group – or the group Bud and Jeff had been trading with wouldn't show up one day soon and they were preparing for it. Tyreese told them that it was the main reason the dead were contained. If an attack on the prison were to take place, they could be released. He'd been in the process of forming a plan on how to go about it without him or his men being killed, before he was thrown in a cell with the other prisoners. Back when Bud and Jeff had taken over the place, he'd had the manpower, even more than they had now.

Even with the threats that had always been there, the group's moral had come back up. Lori's morning sickness was nearly gone. Daryl and T-Dog had constructed a target range in the courtyard for Carol, Maggie and Beth. Michonne practiced out there with her sword too. They all needed to learn to hold their own.

Carol knew everyone had their suspicions about her and Daryl. It was common knowledge they shared her room and kept their things in what had been his. But what they didn't know was fine with her - that early hour she was so fond of, when Daryl would face his nightmares. Some nights were worse for him than others but it would always come to her leaning in to offer him comfort and him reaching for her, pushing his body against hers, kissing her.

Daryl had the most amazing way of touching her with his lips and his tongue and making her feel beautiful with him, when she knew she was not. She was anything but. Even when her hair had been long, people had considered her a 'plain jane'. But with Daryl she was a model, a movie star, a diva. There had been moments when she thought they would go further than just touching each other through their clothes. Each and every morning that they were together, at one point he would freeze up and that would be it. It would probably kill her before another person or a walker did, but if that was as far as it ever went between them, if that was the most he felt comfortable giving of himself then so be it, she'd decided. She wasn't gonna push him.

If there were anyone she trusted talkin' to about it, it would've been Dale. But Dale was watchin' over her Sophia now, she truly believed that. God she missed that man. He would've known the right thing to say, given her the same advice her own brain was givin' her. _Let him be._

And so she did. Before her hand healed, she busied herself in the kitchen, using a rubber glove to help with dishes and dinner. She started practicing with Maggie and Beth, and talked to Lori at length about her plans for when she had the baby and how she could help. She was about four months along now, they'd estimated.

Daryl went hunting in the nearby woods almost every day, bringing back a main course each night. Tyreese showed her and Andrea a great spot to fish in the creek that ran along the left hand side of the prison, while he kept an eye on them from on top of the prison wall.

The weather grew colder and they made runs for supplies to the towns west of them, rather than the closer town to the east where T-Dog and Michonne had their run in. By Dale's watch, which Glenn still wore, it was getting close to November and the men were busy building a watch-house on the roof so whoever was on duty would be able to stay warmer.

Everyone aside from Lori, Carl and Beth took a turn standing guard. Her shift always followed Andrea's so there would come that knock on their door, sometimes in the middle of the night – if it happened to fall at that hour. Daryl would walk her to the roof, stopping in the kitchen to make sure she had a cup of coffee to take with her and if they were runnin' low, at least some hot cocoa. Most shifts she'd have to make him go back downstairs. The man didn't sleep well as it was and she was concerned he'd wear himself down.

Sometimes he volunteered for a double shift, like tonight. Although it was getting late, she didn't feel like she was ready for bed. Beth had joined her in the library and while picking through the books, Carol noticed her coughing every now and then.

"You okay sweetie? I can get you some water." Carol offered.

"I'm fine, my throat hurts a little." She held up a glass of water that she'd brought in with her. "Thank you though; it's probably just a cold comin' on."

Carol went back to reading, listening to the fire crackle and Beth cough occasionally, until Daryl poked his head in and told them everyone had gone to bed, that they should too. She made sure Beth made it to her room before she joined Daryl. Curling up under one of the extra thick sleeping bags from the last scavenge, she pressed her back against him.

"Somethin' wrong?" He mumbled.

She took a moment wondering if it was worth mentioning, but then turned over, facing him. In the short time they'd slept together, they'd never fallen asleep with their backs turned. "It's probably nothin'. Beth might be comin' down with somethin'. Last I knew we were runnin' low on antibiotics."

"Last run we couldn't find much. Pharmacies' been picked over good. Thought we'd go north-west next time. There's a town that's closer, but it was overrun last time Tyreese was there. If it comes to it, I'll talk to Rick; we'll make the trip earlier."

"I worry, I guess."

"You're a Mama, it's your right." He said.

Reaching for his hand in the dim light, she nodded and closed her eyes. She didn't have a shift assignment tonight and her mind wandered onto what the morning would bring. Foolish as it was, she'd thrown on lighter clothing, hopin' maybe this time they'd go a step further when they woke. Now she was chilled to the bone and scooted closer to him.

He let out a deep aggravated breath. "If you woulda worn your flannels you wouldn't be cold."

"And if I woulda worn my flannels – never mind."

"Go to sleep smartass."

A deep blush settled in her cheeks, luckily the lighting in the room prevented him from seeing it. He knew what she'd been hinting at. His voice was the last thing she heard until she awoke in that familiar hour before dawn.

* * *

Daryl's dreams were never good. They came every night he got steady sleep and the more nights he spent with Carol the better he slept. It was a double edged sword. He was sleepin' more, but now she was aware of the nightmares and with each one he grew more afraid of what he might reveal. He'd kept his past to himself all of his life – only revealin' a little bit to Andrea, mostly Carol and he didn't like the idea of somethin' slippin' out that he didn't want her to know. Even takin' that risk was tough for him, but wakin' up every mornin' to someone as open and willin' as Carol was so new. She never put any pressure on him, always dealt with it gracefully when he pulled away and seemed to know him like no one ever had.

Resisting the urge to bed her every mornin' was drainin' him. He'd always start kissin' on her but she never came off as being clingy or anxious like he figured she might. That was the biggest reason he hadn't stopped and kept putting his lips to hers because it felt better than anything ever had in his whole life. Sex on the other hand, he was afraid of fucking that up on both levels – physically and emotionally. He knew he cared about Carol, about her well being, about her health, about whether she'd survive the next challenge the group faced and the ones after that. But there were the scars he hadn't shown her, the ones he'd kept hidden. She wasn't stupid. She was aware of the life he'd lived, but not the nitty-gritty. Things she didn't need to be burdened with, things he kept inside himself and hidden under his clothes, until the nightmares boiled and everything he'd kept caged inside poured over the edge.

The darkness hit him and he relaxed for the first few hours, vaguely aware of her fingers laced through his own. But then this particular vivid head trip took him on a spiral warp ride back in time to when he was about twelve years old.

He'd woken up to find his bed soaked. At first he thought he'd pissed the bed, but his bladder was still full. Daddy stumbled through his bedroom door about that time. Daryl always tried bein' quiet when he woke, sometimes sneakin' out his window to escape a beatin' from his daddy who was on one of his hangover induced hazes.

"What the fuck'dya piss yaself boy?" Daddy ripped the covers off him causing Daryl to curl against the ice cold wall. He stared at Daryl through bloodshot eyes. What the hell you waitin' fer? Get the hell outta that bed and take that shit outside and get it cleaned up ya little pervert."

Merle came half way around the corner heading for his room, boots clompin' through the house and heard the commotion. If their daddy was focused on beatin' the piss out of Daryl, the more Merle'd be able to get away with. Still this was too temptin' for Merle not to be in on. Daryl sat there ashamed, not knowin' what the fuck had happened. "What the fuck's goin' on? What did Darylena do now? Piss the bed?"

More shame set in. Now he was on display, he thought he was gonna be sick – or that maybe he was sick. He didn't know. What the fuck had happened?

"Oh, our little Daryl. He's decided to be a man now, huh?"

_What did he mean a man? _ Daryl thought, grabbing all his dingy bedding in a ball, putting it in front of him, backing into the corner of the dirty rat hole he called his room. The switch marks from the other night had just started fadin' to a light pink across his back, but Daddy had one of his cigars in his hand. "You know what happens if you make a mess boy? Ya clean it up."

That would've been great if Daddy would just let him by to get his things to the wash tub. But that wasn't gonna happen. Merle was stoned and laughing as he left the room. "Nothin' I aint' ever hadta deal with lil' bro. That's yer tough shit."

Daryl woke himself up before the image of his daddy advancin' on him with the lit cigar fully formed. He liked it better here, threats and all. This particular nightmare had been a bad one. Thankfully she woke at the same time he did, before he started caterwaulin' like usual - like a pussy.

"You alright?" She asked, the pre-dawn light bringing out the blue in her eyes. It had to be the first time they'd broken their routine where he'd pulled himself out of the nightmare rather than her.

"I'm fine." He grumbled loudly, sitting up, wipin' the corners of his eyes, trying to turn away. It made him regret being in the same room with her, at least for the moment, but with Carol, things were easier than they were with other people. She simply sat up, knowin' he wasn't okay and rubbed his back. His first instinct was to push her away, but he held off because it felt good. It felt good to have someone there who fucking gave a shit, even if he didn't deserve it. The tears remaining needed to dry, but maybe there was he chance she wouldn't see them with it bein' so dark. The room blurred when he brought his head around to face her. She was as quiet as a mouse, her mouth pressed into a thin, flat line.

"I'm fine." He repeated the fight gone out of him.

It was a bold move for her. He could've swatted her away, yelled at her and stalked off, but she reached up with her sore hand and put it to his cheek – her thumb landing right in a tear drop. "You know, I don't think I can feel anything in that thumb anymore."

He realized she was pretending not to notice his tears, and took a deep breath, pulling his lips in and biting down on them, causing himself pain to counter the pain inside. Instead of pushing her away, he didn't think – he just pulled her too him burying his head in her shoulder, hearing her take in that tiny gasp of surprise because he'd let her in a just a little bit more.

He wasn't sure how long she held him, but he couldn't sit there all day lettin' her coddle him like a God damned baby. Every mornin' before this he'd been half asleep and unaware until he was practically on top of her. Today he placed a hand on each cheek, looking her in the eyes, tears gone, and brought his lips to hers quickly. The way she kissed him back, he got the impression that she sensed it was different this time. It didn't help that she was wearin' just a long fitted t-shirt and some of those runnin' shorts they'd picked up at the sports center.

He knew one thing - he was good at was kissin'. To get the kinda reaction she offered when he did, he just knew. She arched her back as he laid her down, pressing her tits into his chest. They'd only put their hands on each other a few times, mostly fumbling through their clothing. Shakily, and he didn't give a shit, he slid a hand under her shirt, across her soft bare stomach, up higher until he finally grasped a soft breast, then lowered his mouth licking, running his tongue across the soft skin there, teasing her, grazing his teeth against it. She responded with a soft moan and by winding her leg around him, pulling him closer to her. He wanted in her.

Her hands inched down the waistband of his flannel pants and he heard her whimper his name against his ear. "Please." She begged. He lost all the fight in him after that; there was no way to hold back from her any longer.

A loud, urgent, steady knock came on their door and they broke apart, forgetting the door was locked. "Carol, its Maggie, come quick. We need help."

Carol swung away from him and plunked her feet in her boots that were right off to the side of her bed. She grabbed one of Daryl's flannel shirts, first thing handy to cover up with, buttoning it as she shivered and made her way to the door. "Comin'. Just a sec."

When she eased the door open, Maggie took a quick peek spotting him in the bed next to Carol's. "It's Beth." She didn't have to say more than that and Carol was already turned around scouting for her jeans.

Daryl bunched the sleeping bag against him, searching for his pants too. "She worse this mornin' Maggie?" He asked.

Maggie shook her head, worry clouding her eyes. "High fever. Dad thinks its bronchitis."

Carol stopped her search for clothing and looked to him. "I'll go find Rick. We'll have to make a run." He assured them both.

When Maggie left, Carol stood fully dressed in her jeans, boots and his shirt, shaking her head, her arms crossed in front of her. He joined her at the door, lifting her chin up so she'd look at him. "Don't get yourself sick by doin' too much. Make sure you eat and keep takin' those vitamins I gotcha."

She nodded her head into his shoulder since he was standing that close. "I will Daryl."

"She'll be fine. She needs ya. Go on, don't worry 'bout me. I'll be back by dark."

He'd already come up with a plan of action last night when Carol'd mentioned Beth might be sick, he just didn't expect to have to leave so soon. An infection like bronchitis or pneumonia could move through their group like a shit storm. And then he did somethin' he didn't normally do outside of their beds – he lifted her chin with his finger and felt her hand slide around his hip. It was clumsy and he wasn't used to it when he had to think 'bout what he was doin', but he kissed her and made it count. It'd been gettin' tough to go without worryin' 'bout what could or would come of her if anythin' happened to him when they had to make runs into the nearby towns. But givin' a shit was somethin' he couldn't take back now even if he tried. It was what it was and as her tongue moved over his; he squeezed his eyes shut, still fighting back those feelin's as much as he could, but felt his arms goin' around her thin waist, not wantin' to let her go.

Rick was comin' back down from watch when he met him in the hall. "Beth's real sick. You know that town we were talkin' about hittin' soon. We need to make the run today. I'm in, who else should I take?"

He led Daryl into the kitchen where they stored the maps and pulled one out. "Tyreese. He knows that area best." He unfolded one and spread it out on the table. Pointing north west of where they were, he warned him, "It'll be risky, but if we need meds, that's the place to go. With walkers crawlin' all over it's probably the least picked over."

Daryl gave a quick nod, shouldered his bow and walked back to their quarters to wake Tyreese, resisting the urge to knock on Beth's door where he knew Carol would be. The trip had to be quick - in and out. He needed to keep his fuckin' head on straight, which seemed to be impossible these days.


	20. In Sickness

**Enjoy! I really liked writing this one! Thank you for the msgs and reviews. I totally appreciate you all. Kat**

The sky held a look of promise to the east but to the south of them, ominous looking blue-gray clouds were barreling in at a furious pace. Tyreese pointed, taking one hand off the wheel of the Prius. "I've lived down south long enough to know without a weatherman what's headed our way."

Daryl took a look, squinting through the windshield wondering if they would make it to town and back before things got bad. "It's a fuckin' tropical storm."

"Or a hurricane." Tyreese said pulling his the knit cap he'd found further down on his head. "Feel that wind? One of those late season ones."

Judgin' by the direction it was comin' from, it was headin' in from the gulf. The only positives, if it was big enough, it might wipe out a shit load of walkers down along the coast and they were far enough inland for it to slow down before it hit their area. The rains would cause some serious flooding though.

"You wanna head back?" Tyreese asked. "Gonna be risky as it is with that town crawlin' with walkers. Add cold rain and high winds on topa that."

"We need those antibiotics. Just keep goin'." Daryl insisted, leaning his elbow on the window sill. Somethin' like bronchitis could turn into pneumonia and he didn't want anyone else catching it. Rick had thought about going with them but Lori had been coughing on toward morning and he wasn't sure if she was coming down with it either. With everything else, the threat of the walkers escaping Cell Block Ten, other groups attacking them, this was all they needed - a fuckin' hurricane and a highly contagious upper respiratory infection runnin' through the group.

The huge strip mall spanned both sides of the highway below them and Tyreese wasn't jokin' when he'd said there were walkers everywhere. Hundreds combed the parking lots below. To their left stood a Walmart, a Papa John's Pizza, a music store, Hallmark trinket store and a tiny pharmacy. On the right there was the movie theater, Applebees, a Payless Shoe Store, Petco, Dick's Sporting Goods, and a Barnes & Nobles book store.

Daryl pointed to the left. The wind was getting wild, bending the trees at odd angles. "Pharmacy's down there. If we can't find nothin' there, we'll need to bust into that Walmart, see if they have anythin' in their pharmacy."

"If it ain't wall to wall dead." Tyreese gestured to the right. "Less crowded down that way, it circles around to the other side. I'm thinkin' drive down and around, get ahead of them, most of them like to hang out front the last time we was here."

Daryl flicked the switch to slide the power window down and pulled himself out of the window to get a better look at the area and possibilities, but the wind was harsh and cold, carrying in the first rain drops. He slid back into his seat, feeling chilled. Shrugging it off, he came up with a game plan. "We'll wait 'bout five, maybe ten minutes till the rain starts pourin'. It'll keep the geeks distracted." He hoped.

They watched through the windshield as the blue-gray clouds approached turning into a wall of misty, smoke-like water. "Now's a good a time as any." Tyreese said, "You ready?"

Daryl nodded. "Let's go."

It worked almost perfectly aside from the few walkers they side swiped with the car on the way in. Tyreese was right; the narrow lot behind the stores had fewer walkers bumblin' around. Pulling up as close to the door as he could, Tyreese grabbed the crowbar and his hammer while Daryl prepped the bow. With the rain falling in sheets now, the walkers that happened to be nearby never heard the car pull up and the few that caught the motion of it going by, Daryl took out with his bow. Tyreese had the door opened and hand gun out before Daryl was done retrieving the arrows from the few he'd taken down.

They were both careful as they walked through the small pharmacy, but all looked to be clear. The place hadn't been thoroughly picked clean so they went for the antibiotics first; taking all they could find and still, even for a smaller group their size it didn't look like it was gonna be enough. "Looks like we'll have to hit up Wally-World." Daryl said, putting the last of the pills a bag. Before they left they scavenged essentials, toilet paper, batteries, cleaning supplies, over the counter medicines, a few thermometers, paper towels, wash cloths and more.

Tyreese pulled the crowbar out from where he had it jamming the door closed and took a peek outside with one eye. "You wanna take these fuckers out?"

Daryl peered over his shoulder and spotted two wandering around the Prius and nodded. Tyreese smashed the closest one in the face with his hammer, knocking it to the ground before landing another blow to its skull. Daryl got the other with the bow, nearly missing a head shot when his eyes blurred.

"You alright man?"

"Fine." Daryl said pulling the arrow out, noticing his chest felt heavy. He wasn't gettin' sick. To hell with that, he never got sick. "Let's get the fuck outta here." He yelled over the rain, hopping in the car, already piss soaking wet from the three foot gap between the store and the Prius.

"Guess we shoulda brought our rain coats." Tyreese said smiling. "We should grab some while we're in Walmart if they have any, and if there ain't no dead inside."

Daryl nodded, trying to fend off whatever had gotten a hold of him. It was only thirty feet to the next stop but with the rain blinding them, and the windshield wipers unable to keep up, Tyreese managed to dent the front bumper up pretty good hitting walkers along the way. "Watch the hell out, you don't wanna bust up the radiator or break the fuckin' windshield. You want me to drive?" Daryl hollered.

"Hell we're here man." Tyreese griped back, parking near the loading dock. "Looks like this is the best way in. At least from what I can see."

Daryl swung around in the front seat looking out all of the windows to see how many had followed them. Eerie silhouettes of the walkers stumbled around them, but it didn't seem like many were still standing upright with the wind the way it was. "Alright, same thing, but this time we have a larger gap from the car." He felt winded already.

Tyreese slapped the crowbar against his hand. "You okay man?"

"Stop askin' me. I'm fine. Let's go."

The man next to him shook his head like he didn't believe him but exited the car at the same time Daryl did. As they ran through the pelting rain up the ramp, he saw Tyreese pull ahead of him, and did his best to keep up until a downed walker latched onto his ankle pulling him to the ground. His knife was the first thing he could grab. Soaked and out of breath, he drove it between the thing's eyes and yanked it out.

A strong arm grabbed him under the shoulder standing him upright. "Come on." Tyreese yelled over the rain.

Once they were inside Daryl adjusted his bow, biting down so his teeth wouldn't chatter. He looked beyond the initial loading area, which was clear, but he cocked his head to the side pointing to the main floor where several walkers shuffled around.

"I been here before when this place was up and running." Tyreese told him. "If we stick to the outside wall and go around we'll end up at the pharmacy. Don't aim to take down any outside of the isle we take unless they come at us. If the others hear the commotion, they'll all know we're here."

Body aches were starting to set in. He kept trying to convince himself that he wasn't sick, that the itch in his throat wouldn't make him start coughing. He wasn't gonna get them killed by alerting every geek in the store that there was fresh meat in the vicinity.

Right next to the pharmacy door, he found the ibuprofen and took the last five bottles they had stocked on the shelves. He opened one of the boxes, then the bottle, picked at the cotton, took four pills out and swallowed them dry. He'd be fine. It was just the damn weather. When he saw that Tyreese had made it into the pharmacy area, he poked his head around the corner and whispered, "All clear?"

The sound of pill bottles being thrown into the eco-friendly bag they'd grabbed on the way through told him Tyreese was fine, though it concerned him that the man had just kicked a drug habit, albeit a habit forced on him, but an addiction nonetheless.

He took a minute to catch his breath outside the door when somethin' caught his eye. Right alongside the shelves near the books were stacks of journals. He stepped into the pharmacy, "I found somethin' I need. Take me just a minute."

Tyreese grumbled something back, but he knew it'd take less than that. He was five feet away from them for Christ's sake. Quietly he treaded across the tile floor, lifted the stack off the bottom shelf and carried them back into where Tyreese was and shut the door without a sound. The smell hit him right away. "There dead in here?"

Tyreese kept working to bag up meds and motioned around the corner of the shelves where he saw two feet sticking up. "They're dead – dead."

Daryl had smelled a lot of viscous things in his life, and he'd been tolerating it since the dead started to rise, but he'd never get used to the stench of rot. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his wet sleeve, wishin' they could get over to the men's clothing for some warmer dry clothes.

"What'cha got there?" Tyreese glanced over at the notebooks.

"None-a yer bees-wax." Daryl whispered, trying to hold back a cough.

Tyreese lifted his shoulders and went back to work. "For Carol?"

Daryl had gone through half of them not finding any that really stood out to him, but when Tyreese said her name there it was, with a wrinkled, worn look to it, field grass decorations on it and what appeared to be Cherokee roses off in the distance. He shoved it in a plastic bag from one of the nearby racks, ignoring Tyreese.

"What else did we need?" He asked.

"You sweating man?"

Daryl gripped the desk next to him, trying to hold himself steady. "Piss soakin' wet is what I am. Let's get this shit and go."

* * *

Carol had been back and forth between Beth's room and Lori's room all day with Herschel and Rick bringing her what they had to keep their fevers down. Beth sounded worse than Lori, but she feared that Lori would get worse as time went on.

"Could be a virus." Herschel said. "If that's so, all he antibiotics in the county won't help them. It would just have to run its course. In fact I want to hold off giving them any until we see if they start to get better on their own. If not, tomorrow we'll start treatment."

Carol crossed her arms, leaving Beth's room to take a walk down the hall, but paused at the door. "That's if they get back before tomorrow. They've been gone for hours now and with this storm - " There wasn't much more to say.

She'd heard the wind howling all day and the heavy rain had hit the windows so hard it was impossible to see out of them, not that she wanted to because it sent her heart into palpitations thinking about him being out in it. She'd seen her share of hurricanes pass through when she lived in Atlanta, none that had caused any horrible damage.

They'd cleaned the front lobby area last week, and her stomach dropped when she walked down the steps to peer outside. Three feet past the doors she saw nothing but water and darkness. She sank down on the steps, trying to control the fear runnin' 'round inside her head. They would be fine. He would come back.

"They're probably just sticking it out somewhere in that town until the storm dies down." Maggie said, holding a plate out to her.

Carol took it knowing she had to eat. He'd be upset if he came back and found out she didn't. It was venison they'd canned weeks back, baked under instant potatoes and gravy and canned corn with more gravy on top. She couldn't afford to get sick.

"I just hate the thought of them out in this." Carol said, needing to vent.

"Daryl is one of our toughest. He'll be back." Maggie told her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Carol pulled his shirt around her – she hadn't taken it off all day. "I know." She lied. It was torture not knowing.

She forced all the food down, drank from her bottle of water, popped a vitamin and sat there some more – until her butt started getting sore and she remembered she had the notebook with her.

Flipping through the pages she revisited their night together in the house when the herd of walkers had come through. _"Do you remember what those toasted marshmallows tasted like the other night? That's what my first kiss tasted like." _He'd head and heart always did flip flops when she thought about it. She hadn't gone through the notebook since that night and reading it now tripled the effect.

Tucking it back in her pocket she made her way to the kitchen to make sure they had plates ready for Daryl and Tyreese when they got back. Maggie already had them prepared in the cooler covered in plastic wrap and ice from the icehouse.

She sat down on a stool and took the notebook out of her pocket again. _"What are you afraid of?"_ She'd asked.

"_Giving a shit." _Had been his answer.

"You're not the only one Daryl." She said to the empty room, hearing footsteps coming down the hall.

"Carol, come quick they're back. The car just pulled up." Carl yelled. The boy had been so bored with his mom bein' sick all day.

She sprinted back down the hallway to the entrance where Rick joined her, holding her back as they watched Tyreese hauling Daryl in. They were both soaked to their skin. Her hands went up to her mouth, pushing Rick away to get to him.

"What happened?" Rick's voice boomed and echoed throughout the large lobby.

"He's got it too. Runnin' a high fever, coughin' all the way back. Hit him fast. Took me forever to get him out of the store." Tyreese laid him on the steps, where Daryl could barely sit up.

"He's fading in and out, burnin' up with fever." Carol said, cradling his head in her lap, kissing his forehead, not carin' if anyone else saw. "I'm here Daryl. It's gonna be okay." He shivered and moaned against her cheek.

"I'll get T-Dog and Herschel, we need to get him up to your room and get those wet clothes off." Rick told her.

The men strong armed Daryl up to their room where they lay him on Carol's bed. Herschel shoed everyone out but Carol, telling them to unload the car and get the medicine.

"We need to get him undressed and in warm, dry clothes and then move him over to the dry bed. You're bedding will have to be changed."

Carol nodded. "My bedding is the least of my worries." She told him, already taking it upon herself to unbutton Daryl's shirt. Herschel had his back turned, messin' with the oil lamp to get some light in the room. The light came up just as she pulled his shirt back with both hands, revealing the mass of scars across his chest. She'd only caught a glimpse of them at the farmhouse and had no idea how many there really were. He never took his shirt off around her, never let her slide her hands underneath it. There were burns, whip marks, jagged cuts and even stab marks. Her hands were frozen, balled up in the cold, wet material of his shirt when he opened one eye, peeking at her.

"What the hell do ya think yer doin'?" His voice was faint, but it brought her out of her thoughts and the horrible pain she was feelin' for him.

"Herschel's here, we're gettin' these wet clothes off. You're gonna catch your death."

He grabbed onto one of her hands. "Don't. I can get it." He said, struggling to sit up.

Carol pressed her palm into his bare shoulder and pushed him back to the pillow. "I got it. Now quit fightin' with me about it damnit." She threw the shirt on the floor and worked his cargo's off next, then his underwear and socks, her eyes avoiding him mostly to keep him from embarrassment, then threw a warm, dry blanket over him, keeping him covered while dressing him in flannel pants, socks and a long sleeved t-shirt.

She and Herschel worked to him move from her bed to his and she tucked the blanket up around his chest. "He's so weak." Carol said.

"Pneumonia, I'd be willing to bet. We need to get his fever down." Herschel said.

T-Dog came in with the bags of medicine, the wash basin with a clean wash cloth. Carol rinsed the cloth, rung it out and ran it over his forehead. Andrea brought in a tray with a pitcher of water and his dinner tray. "I didn't know if he'd be well enough to eat."

Carol shook her head. "No, he's too weak right now."

Andrea reached past Carol and ran her hand through Daryl's hair. "Get better quick ya hear?" And then she put her arm around Carol for a moment. "I'll put the food back down in the cooler. Maybe he'll eat some tomorrow."

"Thanks Andrea."

The blond smiled, walking to the door. "I'll go sit with Beth for awhile."

Herschel brought over a couple different pills. "His temp is up to a hundred and four. We need to get him to take these. And then he'll need the same, every four hours, at least for tonight. His lungs are filling up, so it's best if we can get him to take these as soon as possible. I will be back in about an hour to check on him.

He left Carol to figure out how, probably thinkin' she knew best when it came to Daryl. His head lolled back and forth. He'd be lucid for a short period of time and then fall off into a fitful sleep. She waited for a lucid moment. "Daryl." She said.

His eyes opened - just mere slits. "What?" He asked, coughing an awful raspy sound afterward.

"I need you to take some medicine. It's gonna make you better."

He scrunched up his face. "Don' wan no fuckin' pills."

She held the pills in one hand and the glass of water in the other. When he saw what she had, he drew back with his hand flinging the plastic cup on the floor. She kept the pills clenched in her hand.

"Damnit Daryl. You need these." She filled another cup and sat down again, determined. He was scared, was what it was, she realized. "Daryl," She tried again. "It's okay. It's Carol. Please, I want to help you. They are antibiotics and fever reducer, it isn't anything bad, I promise. Will ya take them for me?"

He made a face again, a sad face, which nearly broke her heart but nodded as she slipped two of the pills in his mouth and had him sip the water, then the other two. Breathing a sigh of relief, she relaxed a little, running her fingers across his forehead, while he relaxed. Her hand lingered there before traveling down to his shoulder and chest, knowing now what he kept so hidden, and the scars on the inside too, the ones in his heart. She'd be willing to bet his back was worse and it made her love him all the more. It was the first time she'd put the word love with the feelings she had, even if it was only in her mind. She knew she'd loved him all along, all the way back when he first started on the search for Sophia. As she sat there, next to him, she had to pray he'd come through this. They had a lot of unfinished business between them. She wouldn't lose him too.


	21. And In Health

**Okay, so this is a LONG chapter but here it is nonetheless. I am excited for Chapter 22 already! Thank you for the great reviews last time and the msgs. You all are the greatest! {{{HUGS}}} Kat**

Lukewarm water. Herschel and T-Dog were bringing up a huge tub of it. Despite the ibuprofen and first dose of antibiotics, Daryl's fever had spiked even higher.

"How's Lori doin'?" Carol asked Rick, thumbing a tear off of her cheek.

He sat down in the chair near her bed. "No better, no worse, but not like him." He eyed Daryl, who hadn't been responsive since the seizure he had nearly an hour before.

"How could he get this bad so fast?" Carol knotted her hands together, knowin' it was because he'd worn himself down, he'd been out hunting in the cold, out in the wind on watch, takin' double shifts, and the drenching storm had done him in.

Rick shook his head. He had that look in his eyes; she'd seen it many times over the past few months. "He'll pull through. He's a tough son of a bitch." The words moved past his lips but there wasn't the heart she wanted to hear behind them. "I want to be clear on this though. If for some reason - "

"Rick, I don't even wanna think about it." Carol pleaded, standing up. Damnit, she'd lost enough already.

"You know what we're dealing with here." Rick stood up, towering over her. "And you'll listen. I won't leave you alone with him if that's the case."

There was no way she'd think of somethin' happening to Daryl and she wanted to scream at Rick, but that would land her on the other side of the door, unable to care for him. What was he afraid of? That if Daryl died she'd let him turn and take her too? All of a sudden the day that Sophia crept out of the barn rushed back to her. She'd been prepared to join her daughter that day. There hadn't been any thinking about it, but Daryl had stopped her.

"If for some reason he doesn't - " Rick couldn't even say it. "You know what you need to do, right? I want to be sure you wouldn't do anything stupid. I won't leave you in here with him if we're not clear on this." He repeated.

"Rick." Carol whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. She wiped them before the tears fell feeling a huge lump rise in her throat and an ache settle over her chest, a burden too large to bear.

"He wouldn't want you to – he would want you to go on." Rick swallowed.

"You're talkin' like he's not gonna make it." She hissed, her voice above a whisper now. "I won't hear it. Not yet. Just give him a chance." All she wanted was to be allowed the time to try and help him get better. That was what she intended to do, but he wouldn't leave until he had an answer. Truth was she really didn't know what she'd do. "I understand Rick. I'm fine." She lied.

He touched her arm above the elbow, making her look at him. "You sure?"

She nodded. "He's gonna pull through." And before Rick could tell her different or place any doubts in her mind, she went to Daryl's bed, wrung the wash cloth out again, shaking it to make it as cool as possible and placed it across Daryl's forehead. It was eerie watching him laying so still, taking deep, wheezy breaths. Herschel had removed the shirt they'd put on him earlier and the heavier blankets.

The door burst open and T-Dog and Herschel strong armed the large washtub into the room, setting it next to where Daryl lay. They took fresh towels from around their shoulders and set them on Carol's bed.

"Do you want me to stay and help?" Herschel asked.

"No, Beth needs you." She answered quietly, eyeing Rick who pointed at her.

"You remember what we talked about." He gave Daryl one last glance and they all filed out the door.

Herschel hesitated on the threshold. "The sponge bath might bring him around, if it does, get him to take the second dose the medicine I left on the tray."

"If you need anything - " Rick warned from the hallway, his tone stern.

"I know, I know." Carol told him, with a wave of her hand. She breathed a deep sigh when they left; putting her head in her hands, giving herself a minute to digest the fact that Rick was afraid Daryl would die.

It took a bit for her to get herself together, but her determination to make him well took over and she moved like she was on auto-pilot. Tucking the dry towels in next to him, to keep the bed from getting wet, she took a clean wash cloth and dipped it in the tepid water. She started in the divot of his shoulder, running it across his collar bone to the other side, where the scars were dark and plenty. Re-dipping the washcloth, she moved on to his breast bone sliding it down his abs, feelin' things she shouldn't be, while bein' worried all at the same time. There was that nagging question in the back of her mind – would she ever get to touch him like this again when he was awake and receptive? His skin was on fire, so hot that they had combed his body for scratches even though Tyreese had insisted that he'd only had one close call with a walker.

She was lost in her own thoughts as she went on, wetting the wash cloth and repeating at least half a dozen times when finally she felt him shiver beneath the base of her hand. "Daryl?"

He peeled his eyes open. "What the hell you doin' woman?" His voice was weak and croaky.

"You have a high fever. Just tryin' to bring it down."

"I'm not fuckin' sick. Keep tryin' to tell Tyreese that." It was the closest he could come to yellin' but about ten decibels lower than usual.

"Okay Daryl, you're not sick. Just humor me now." She was shaking with joy that he was awake, not that he'd notice with the way he was shivering. The sponge bath was working. From the looks he was giving her he wasn't happy being all exposed the way he was. She dried him off quickly, pulled one of the lighter blankets from her bed and draped it over his chest. Dipping the cloth again, she wrung it out carefully this time and ran it across his forehead, brushing his hair out of the way.

He latched onto her wrist then, squeezing lightly. "Ya over complicate my life."

The words stung, because it was true, she thought, breaking eye contact with him. He'd been a loner all this time and she was about to classify herself as a burden again, but he shook her wrist getting her attention. "I appreciate what'cha doin'."

She nodded and got him to take the pills Herschel had left. "Tyreese needs checkin' on. Bein' around narcotics I - "

"They've already talked to him. It's alright. Rest Daryl."

He closed his eyes and tried taking a deep breath before going into a coughing fit. She moved to help pat him on the back as he leaned over the edge of the bed, but he pushed her away. "I'm fine." He grumbled, collapsing back on the pillows. "How are you feelin'? You gonna get this?"

She shook her head telling him no. "I've been around Beth and Lori all day, so far so good. I'm just a little tired, is all."

"Well what the hell time is it?"

"It's gotta be gettin' on towards mornin'. Can't tell with the storm not lettin' up. You need to go back to sleep. I'll be fine."

"Least lay down." He prodded.

When she didn't, he opened one eye. "Put the damn wash cloth down and get yer ass in bed."

There was her Daryl. She thought, trying not to smile. She kept it brighter in the room than usual and laid down, watching him sleep. A few hours later his fever spiked again, but not to the point where he convulsed. Herschel joined her and they repeated the sponge bath, though it didn't take as long for him to come around this time.

Rick poked in when daylight broke, though it was still quite dark with the storm in full boil. The wind had pounded the east wing all night. Carol let him know that Daryl had been awake twice, tickled pink that things had taken a turn for the better. "It'll be awhile before he's on his feet, but I think he's gonna be alright. How are Lori and Beth?" She asked him with a weak smile. She was exhausted, but it was no worse than the nights she'd spent awake with Sophia when she'd been little.

"Herschel's gonna start them on antibiotics too. They aren't much better than yesterday, but they never got as bad as he did. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll come back and check on him in an hour or two, see if his temp stays down. We don't need you getting sick."

* * *

Carol agreed and fell off to sleep with little effort. Daryl watched her out of the corner of his eye, seething with anger, remembering in full detail the conversation between her and Rick last night. Yeah, he hadn't been able to move and he'd been so hot he thought his body would spontaneously combust, but he'd heard every word. He was pretty sure Carol had been lying to get Rick out of the room.

And then there was the fact that she'd seen everythin' he'd tried so hard to keep hidden. His scars hadn't repulsed her like he thought they would, in fact while she was bathin' him she just went at it like it wasn't no big deal. Well it was a huge deal to him. It wasn't his choice for her to see him like that. He wanted it to be on his terms if it was to come down to it and that'd been taken from him.

It was like breathin' through a thick spider web and his body felt like it'd been run over by a fuckin' mack truck, but he'd made it through, and mostly because he knew she needed him. There were a few times he'd felt himself slipping away. Maybe it'd been delirium, but he knew he'd had a close brush. What bothered him was not knowing what the hell she'da done. Could he trust her to do the right thing like he had for Dale if it ever came down to it? His ears weren't broken. They'd talked about the seizure he'd had when the fever had gone over a hundred and five. He always worried about her. Always. But now there was the added worry of what would become of her if anything did happen to him. Her discussion with Rick had raised a lot of unwanted questions.

They slept on and off throughout the rest of the afternoon, with Carol leaving briefly for a shower and to bring them dinner. He wasn't sure he'd be able to eat but knew that it would only help him recover, so when she set the tray in front of him and hopped on her bed to eat hers, he figured eating would save him from talkin'.

Only it didn't help matters. Carol knew something was buggin' him. "It's good to see you feelin' better." She mentioned, picking at her food.

"Make sure you eat all of that." He ordered. He didn't feel better, he felt like shit, but he just grumbled and went on pushing the peas and carrots around in the homemade pot pie someone had made. After eating what his stomach could handle, he went back to sleep to avoid her. It was the only way he could.

For two whole days the group, especially Rick insisted he stay in bed until he got so irate that he wandered out on the third mornin', banging on Rick's door. He had his gear on, the sun was finally shining and he was ready to get the fuck out of dodge.

Rick answered, looking bleary-eyed. He hadn't gotten much rest, reorganizing watch, taking extra shifts. "I'm goin' huntin' and then I wanna be added to the watch list again."

Rick scoffed. "Daryl, you still look like shit."

"Thanks man, and you look like a fuckin' rose." He smirked and started to turn around. "Smell like one too."

He saw Rick shake his head when he glanced back. "Hey. Stay right around the walls and for Christ's sake take someone with you."

Daryl walked away, intending to go alone. He respected Rick and followed his lead, mostly, but he knew he'd be fine so long as he didn't wander too far. On his way out the door he ran into Andrea, who was coming off watch, and he knew Carol would be up on the roof.

"Hey stranger." She said with a smile. "Hold up. I'll grab my mud boots and go with you."

"I don't need ya keepin' an eye on me. I'm fine." He snapped, but it didn't faze her.

"I'm not going to keep an eye on you. I need to get out of this place. I've been stuck inside or on the roof since the storm."

He adjusted his bow on his shoulder, stifling a cough and nodded. "Suit yourself, but get yer boots quick 'fore I have the whole group on my ass."

Once they were out past the gate, he took a quick peek over his shoulder up at Carol. She was just a speck on the roof, but she'd seen them leave the grounds, no doubt aiming binoculars on them.

Andrea noticed him watching. "You're avoiding her."

"If you came out here to get on me about that, you can go yer ass back inside."

She was stubborn though. "What did she do? All I saw her do Daryl is stay up night and day, taking care of you, worrying her damned head off."

Daryl stopped, too winded to bitch her out the way he wanted to. "Did she send you out here? I know ya just came from up there. What'd she say?"

"Only that you've been quiet and she thought that since you seemed to be on the mend – I don't know if she knows what to think."

"What is it she expects? See that's the problem." He pointed. "Expectations."

"Well, maybe a thank you would do? She did the best she could to keep you alive."

"And if I hadn't made it? What the fuck would she have done then?"

Andrea put her hands on her hips shaking her head. "What are you getting at?"

Daryl stepped forward, lowering his voice, knowing Carol was probably watching the entire exchange. "The other night they thought I was passed out, Rick warned her to do what was right if it came down to it."

"And she refused?" Andrea asked.

"No. She pissed and moaned about, finally agreed. But she only did it to get Rick to leave."

Andrea shook her head glancing off into the trees. "You don't know for sure if she lied or not. You're only assuming she did."

He wasn't gonna go into the other half of it. A squirrel raced by and skittered up into a nearby tree. Daryl followed it with his scope and shot, hitting it clean through the neck. It was only about ten feet up the tree so Andrea climbed up to grab it and the arrow for him.

When she hopped down she offered the squirrel and the arrow to him. "You love her."

"What?" He asked, feeling his eyes squint and confusion cloud his thoughts.

"You love her. It scares you but you do. Have some trust Daryl. I know that doesn't come easy for you but she took care of Bud when she knew she had to."

"That was different." Daryl said, getting in her face.

"Was it?" She asked with a satisfied smirk.

"I could stand out here all day and argue with you. I know how you lawyers work. Runnin' me 'round in damn circles. Did ya come out to help me get dinner or run yer yap?"

She shut up, taking strides beside him but he could feel her grinning and he hated her for bein' right.

* * *

Later that afternoon Carol walked into their room from watch and saw that someone had taken the uncomfortable twin beds out and replaced them with a double bed. She stood there in the doorway bewildered, as Daryl brushed by her coming back from his shower.

"Don't look at me. I don't know how it got in here."

Andrea passed by them in the hallway. "T-Dog and I brought it over from Jeff's old room."

She followed Daryl in and shut the door as he rushed in through to the other room to root through his things. He came out pulling a sweatshirt over his t-shirt. "Woulda been nice if they'd asked. But that's Andrea, always stickin' her nose in where it doesn't belong, right?" He questioned, lookin' her in the eyes.

"You know, I never asked her to say anything to you."

He sat down on the bed. "Maybe I should grab my stuff and take Jeff's room."

Now she knew somethin' was wrong for sure. "What's goin' on Daryl?"

"Nothin'." He snapped, stood up and turned around to face her. "Absolutely nothin'." He started into the other room again but ran out of breath before he made it two steps.

She walked up behind him putting her hand out to touch him on the back but stopped herself. He held tight to the doorsill as he turned around. "You lied to Rick the other night."

"What?" She asked, realizing he'd heard what they'd been talking about. "That's what you're upset about?"

"You wouldn'a done it."

"Daryl it doesn't matter, you pulled through. You still need to take it easy."

"It does matter." He yelled – as much as his voice would allow him. "I need to know if somethin' happened to me that you wouldn't - "

"Wouldn't what? Opt out?"

He dropped his head and looked off to the side as if he didn't even want to think about it.

"What does it matter Daryl? Yes, the day my Sophia walked out of the barn I was ready to. If somethin' happened to you? I'll be honest. I don't know what I'd do. I wouldn't let you end up a walker, if that's what you're afraid of."

She stepped back as he slammed his palm against the wall. "You know that's not it." He said through gritted teeth, turning around to grab his things. When he came through what she was getting used to calling 'their' room, he held tight to a pile of his clothes and a walmart bag, which fell at her feet as he pushed his way past her. She reached down seeing half of the journal. And Daryl froze.

"What's this?" She asked, trying to swallow back a sob.

"Don't know. Must be somethin' Tyreese left in there from our run the other day."

Pulling it completely out of the bag, she found a few packs of pencils and some pencil sharpeners too. "Cherokee Roses." She whispered, stepping back until she felt her legs hit the bed and she sat down.

Daryl let out a deep breath. He set his things at the bottom of the bed and sat down next to her leaving a gap between them.

"Now who's lyin'?" She asked, holding it up so he could get a good look at it. "Tyreese didn't grab this on the run."

Enough was enough, she thought. The Walmart bag was handy, so she shoved everything back in it and stood up heading for the door. "You wanna go then go." She opened the door and waved her hand in a sweeping motion. "I ain't playin' games anymore."

He shoved off the bed and slowly walked toward her. She thought he was gonna leave for sure but he caught her face in his one hand, closing the door with the other and pushed his lips into hers, grazing them with his tongue, pressing her flat against the wall with his body. She hadn't expected that, but moved against him responding to his kiss with desperate need.

She felt his hand start moving up under the shirt she'd worn – his shirt. She'd gotten comfortable wearing them, breathing in the scent of him when he wasn't near her. He ran his fingers across the top of her jeans, connecting with her flesh, pausing their kiss. "Ya need ta eat mor - "

"Shut up Daryl." She whispered but let a small smile come through when she did, looking him in the eyes. He gave her a light lift of his lips, and when she put her hands on the buckle of his pants the half smile disappeared as he leaned in running his lips over hers again, granting her permission in his own way. One snap and then the zipper – she was about to slide her hand inside when someone knocked on the door.

They broke apart and Carol took a deep breath. "Why now?" She whispered to him, and then opened it. It was Lori and Carl with their dinner trays.

"Lori, what are you doing?" She asked. "We were comin' down for dinner. Ya'll don't have to keep bringin' us our food. How are you feelin'?"

Lori smiled as Carol took the tray from her and set it on the chair near the bed. Daryl leaned out and took the one from Carl, fluffing the boy's hair.

"Better." Lori said, hugging her. "Just wanted to thank you for all you did for us. You too Daryl. I'm just sorry you got so sick on that run."

Daryl only nodded. "You doin' okay Carl?"

The boy shrugged. "Just bored, but Mom's better now so I won't be so much."

"Nope." She told them. "Back to school work tomorrow." She said putting her hands on his shoulders as he groaned about having to study. "We better go get our dinner now."

"Good night." Carol called after them closing the door.

Before she turned around, Daryl slid his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. "Where the hell were we?"


	22. Beautiful With You

**Hello there! Finally we come to Chapter 22, and I apologize leaving you hanging so to speak...with EVERYTHING I had going on it was very tough to get through. I only hope you enjoy & review. Thank you for your encouragement - you all know who you are. ;) Kat**

Carol wasn't the type to cuddle after sex, like he thought she would be.

"_Jesus Christ I can't get the bitch offa me afterward. All clingy and shit. Oh honey, why don't you hold me for awhile." _They'd say all smarmy like. He'd heard it all between his dad and Merle bitchin' about the women they'd been with and the guys gripin' about their wives or girlfriends at the foundry.

Carol wasn't nothin' like that. Right now she was curled into her pillow facing him, with her one arm out from under the covers, her fingers threaded through his. He on the other hand – he was sitting up in the low light of what was left of the day trying to wrap his head around what they'd just done.

"We didn't really clear anything up, did we?" She asked, staring through the door, past him into the next room. All the clothes that he'd carried out of there earlier now lay scattered on the floor near the bed, a mess he'd make sure he picked up later.

"No." Was all he said, taking a deep breath and letting it out, thankful he was _able_ to breathe after all that.

"You still wanna move into Jeff's old room?"

"No." He answered in the same plain tone, squeezing her hand.

It was his fault, really. He'd started in with her as soon as she'd shut the door after Lori and Carl left. There'd been no way to keep his hands in his pockets, no way to walk back over to the bed, grab his shit and leave. He'd made the choice to stay once she'd put her foot down and given him the ultimatum. The entire hour before this replayed in his mind as they lay there half covered by the warm sleeping bag.

He'd started from behind her, fumbling with the buttons of his own shirt that she was wearin'. The fact that it was two sizes too large gave him easy access if his fingers would've just worked on the stupid buttons. Her hand settled on top of his and she lifted her arms so that he could slide it over her head, making sure her tank top and bra went with it. Before she could turn around to face him, he skimmed his arms around her again, taking a breast in each of his hands and bowed his head to one of her freckled shoulders kissing her there, sucking higher up her neck and slowly back down. Her fingers were already on the button of her jeans and she pulled them down trying to kick her boots off and shed the jeans and her knives at the same time.

As she turned around he quickly shed the sweatshirt and t-shirt. But found now that they were facing each other that there was some awkwardness on both their parts. He wouldn't have that, not now. There wasn't nothin' to hide anymore.

Without a word, he closed the space between them in seconds grabbing her ass and pulling her to him. Her hands stayed between their bodies to undo his pants and this time it was her fingers that got clumsy. He felt himself smirking against her mouth as he paused to help. Thank God he didn't have any shoes on because they were soon free of everything and he turned her around leading her to the bed, shoving all the clothes he'd brought out on the floor, giving her room. Instead, she stood there before him naked, holding both of his hands, the walls between them all gone. She brought one of his hands to the angry scar that slashed across her lower stomach where she'd had surgery; letting him know in her own way that she wasn't perfect either. He ran his fingers along the ridges and then watching her, moved down to the spot between her legs. The hot breath she let out over his lips and then the moan that escaped her almost sent him to the brink without even being inside her.

When she reached for his shoulder to steady herself, he found she was trembling. "S'all right." He whispered in her ear, beginning to shake too when she finally took a hold of him. "Just wait." He gently took her hand away and wrapped his arm around her, easing her back on the bed without taking his fingers from the place that made her knees weak. She scooted back for him, one arm behind her neck watching him as he kissed the curve of her hip, working his way inward, over the scar, glancing up as he kissed that before licking down to where his lips and tongue met his fingers. She was soft, tasted sweet and the way she writhed beneath him made his confidence grow. It took no more than a minute or two and he felt her muscles pulse around his fingers. She caught her breath, lifted up; pulling on his shoulders and kissed him on the mouth.

"Daryl." She whispered, making her way around him, having him sit where she'd just been. Her lips left his and moved down as she kissed across his chest, taking a hold of him again with her hand. "You're perfect." He knew she was smiling as she grazed her lips and teeth against his shoulder. "So hard." She said letting out a groan. And with that she climbed on him face to face looking right into his eyes.

"You alright?" He asked, worried he might hurt her. His heart was pounding. She gave him a slow lazy nod, looking lust-drunk and helped ease him into her.

* * *

She thought it might be better for him if she were on top. He was still congested and she figured on taking some of the burden off him to create a rhythm and take the lead, which she wasn't used to – at all. She'd only ever been with one other person other than Ed. In truth, she was practically as inexperienced as he was but they'd managed so far. The way he'd been kissing her for weeks now, she'd only imagined how his mouth would feel on her in other places and he hadn't disappointed. It was like he knew her without ever having to ask. The slow pace she began picked up as he grew slicker with each stroke.

His hands were clasped to her hips and she quieted her mind so she could remember everything, lock it away. His eyes were half closed, but on hers; connected, when all at once he pressed his lips to her jaw, lifting her, but keeping inside her as he did. He eased her down on her pillow and lifted her leg up to his shoulder, running his hand from her ankle to her thigh. She reached for his hand kissing the back of it and pulling him in her deeper, grinding against him. He let out a shaky growl, curling her ankle in between his neck and shoulder. "Fuck." He said, reaching down when she latched onto his hand leading it to her breast. "Always loved your tits." He whispered.

She took it all in – physically and emotionally. His hips grinding into her, the mixed emotions in his expressions, the things he said. She knew when he was close and waited for that moment because she'd felt it building on her and saved it for when he let loose in her. And when he did, his hair fell across his eyes, his arms got shaky and he leaned in raining clumsy kisses on her lips, chin and cheeks, which she returned, holding him to her for a minute. "God Daryl."

"Christ." He said, rolling toward his side of the bed.

"I don't think Christ had anything to do with that." She said, giggling.

He actually let out a small chuckle too, catching his breath.

She got up, straightened herself out and thought about throwing at least a t-shirt on, but decided to bring their dinner trays over to the bed naked. "Here, eat."

He took a big gulp of water and started in on his cold eggs, with squirrel meat mixed in, then looked at her. "Whatcha waiting for? Go get yours."

She held her hand out, rubbing his. "Just give me a minute."

"You feelin' okay?" A look of concern crossed his features as he paused with the fork near his mouth.

"I'm feelin' fine. I'll eat. I just need a minute."

He put his plate down and she rolled her eyes. "I'll eat Daryl. I will. You need to too."

"I'll wait till you're ready."

She groaned in frustration. The response was totally foreign to her because if Ed had ever told her to do something she would've done it in a heartbeat for fear that he'd lash out at her or Sophia. There was no fear of that with Daryl, and yet she didn't want to worry him despite not feeling up to eating. Her nerves were too raw but she picked up her plate. "Stubborn man." Was her only comment.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and gave her a slight smile. She forced down the plate of food Lori and Carl had brought up and set both trays aside, then curled up on her side not wanting to stir him from his thoughts. It was a lot to take in, but a pleasant surprise when he reached over trying to cover her arm up. "Mm-mm. I always leave it out."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm always tryin' to cover you up. Who's the stubborn one?" But he wound his fingers through hers instead of fighting her on it.

* * *

Daryl woke up a little later. He knew why he woke because she was usually there warm against him, but the bed was empty and the lamp off. "What the hell?" He said turning over seeing a line of light under the door in the other room. When he stood up, he realized the clothes weren't on the floor that she must be in there folding what he'd meant to pick up. He dragged the sleeping back around him, ready to swing into the room and gripe at her for doin' it for him, but found her hunched up against the wall in one of his warm flannel shirts with her journal, pencil in hand and lamp next to the pile of his folded clothes.

"I'm sorry! Did I wake you up?" She asked, batting her blue eyes at him. She started to get up.

Daryl fumbled with the door knob. "No, it's alright, stay there. Just wondered where you were."

She gave him a nod and went on. She probably never had time to do anything like this before now. With as crazy as things had been, he'd picked up the journal because he thought maybe it'd be somethin' for her to put her thoughts into, somethin' to help her cope. Now he'd gone and interrupted.

"Come here." She asked, holding out the hand she held the pencil in.

Daryl wandered over and bent down in front of her, resting his arms on her knees. She closed the journal and held it up to him. "Thank you for this. No one has done anything this nice for me since the day you brought me the Cherokee rose." Setting it and the pencil next to her on the pile of clothes, she dimmed the lamplight until it went out. Then he felt her touch his cheek. She hooked her hand around his arm, moving it down between her legs. She was sitting in such a position that it gave him easy access to slip his fingers inside her. "You have no idea how you affect me do you?" She asked.

Daryl had no clue what to say. No one had ever said anything like that to him and so he kissed her to shut her up. He wasn't used to compliments and besides the more he affected her, the more worry there would be on both their parts. _It's a little too late for that._ He thought in the back of his mind. _You've been each other's worry all along._

"Here, come on." He urged, pulling her up off the floor, instead she knocked him off balance on accident and he went backwards to where she wound up straddling him. He couldn't make out her face but he heard her giggle as she locked her hand around him and he grew hard instantly.

"I want you." She whispered adding some assertiveness to her voice, sliding her hand up and down his shaft.

He lifted up off the floor catching her at her slender shoulders and slid into her, letting out a hot breath against her neck. She began to ride him face to face, her breasts bouncing against his chest inside his shirt. It'd been chilly in the room but it soon became hot and once he started with the buttons, he lost rhythm with the first one. So he ripped it apart, at least to the point where he was able to lean in and run his tongue across her nipple. He kept his thumb on her clit and massaged as they went until she was practically whimpering in his ear. Once she cut loose repeating his name and a few other explicit words that surprised him – comin' from her, he followed emptying inside her again.

Not too long after they lay on the floor wrapped in the sleeping bag, too worn out to even walk in and get in bed just yet. He leaned back on the pile of clothes while she rested against his chest.

"Why the hell weren't we doing this weeks ago?" He grumbled into her hair.

She shrugged, venturing a guess. "Don't know. Probably sounds stupid but good things come to those who wait?"

"Naw, it doesn't sound stupid. Never had anything good come my way 'till now." He gave her a quick squeeze. "'Till you." He whispered wondering if she even heard him before she let out a deep sigh and fell asleep. He'd get her back into bed in a little bit. Right now he felt more content than he ever had in his whole life.

* * *

Carol felt herself being lifted off the floor awhile later. She'd been sleeping so peacefully she pounded her fist on Daryl's chest fighting the fact that he was disturbing her sleep, but soon they were in their bed and she was curled up against her pillow with Daryl's arm wrapped over the arm she kept out from under the covers, his hand brushing across one breast. His lips were pressed to the back of her shoulder and she decided that aside from the mornings she'd spent watching her baby Sophia sleep, she'd never felt more content or more filled with love, not that she'd admit it out loud. That would freak him out. Regardless, what had happened tonight had changed things for them, both complicating and simplifying matters. There was no taking it back. They didn't have everything worked out and she was sure the topic would come up again soon enough. Hopefully she'd have a better answer for him by the time it did.


	23. Heart Of The Matter

**Super tired so forgive any grammatical errors...I tried to proofread with my tired eyes! Hope you enjoy! Giving them some action...Thank you for all your thoughts, reviews & msgs. They really perk me up! (((HUGS))) Kat**

"Is that all you think about?" Carol asked laughing while they were in the shower early one morning before anyone was awake. His palms were pressed flat to her hips, moving down between her thighs, wet and slippery.

He nodded into her shoulder. "Saves on water too." He mumbled.

"Can't argue with that." She told him. "Oops, dropped the soap." She commented, bending over, feeling giddy until he pushed inside her and she braced herself against the wall with one hand. Reaching back with the other, she dug her fingers through his wet hair, running them along the stubble on his chin and down to his ass where she encouraged him to keep going. She forgot about the soap, turned her head, as he burrowed under her arm taking a nipple in his mouth.

"Aw fuck, tastes like soap." He said, spitting and rinsing his mouth out.

She chuckled taking a clean wash cloth, and ran it under the water to rinse off her chest while he kept pushing in her from behind. His arm slid around her grabbing the wash cloth and dropping it on the floor. Steam billowed around them. "Never taken a shower like this before."

"No?" His voice was husky and low in her ear.

She smacked her hands against the wall arching back into him. "Fuck me Daryl."

He latched on to her shoulder, one hand still between her legs and she felt him go deeper with each stroke. It didn't take more than a few more minutes before her knees buckled, body pulsing, or for him to hit his peak and fall over the edge just after her. She spun around grabbing his face, his arms still tangled around her body, probing his tongue with hers as the water sprayed down on them.

Afterward they both leaned against the wall, catching their breath, with the shower head aimed down on them to rinse. She glanced at him, a little embarrassed by what she'd said.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothin'."

"Ain't nothin' your face is all red." He said turning the shower off.

"Must be the hot water." She grabbed one of the thin, white prison towels off the bench nearby and pressed it to her face.

Daryl came up behind her, reaching for the other one they'd brought with them. He toweled off and turned her to face him. "You alright?"

When he saw her lips were curved up in a smile, the nervousness in his expression disappeared. "I just can't believe I said what I said Daryl. I've never - "

"Christ, don't do that shit, I thought I hurt ya."

"I'm sorry for scarin' you."

He gave her a frustrated look that said it all. He felt bad for snappin' at her but there was amusement tucked in the corners of his eyes. "It's fine. Come on, I haven't had my coffee yet." He said, clearing his thoat, holding up his towel so she could get dressed without him watchin'.

Suddenly the door to the shower room whipped open and T-Dog peaked inside, his eyes large.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" Daryl's voice echoed throughout the tiled room. He turned around quickly making the thin towel he held up as a barrier for him and Carol to stand behind.

"I was comin' off watch. Checked on Gunther and Mark. Gunther's dead – turned, I mean."

"Jesus Christ. Is his still in his cell?"

T-Dog gave a nod, trying to look away from where they stood, half clothed.

"Lemme get my damned ass covered up and I'll be right out."

Finally he took the hint and closed the door. Carol had her pants on already. He helped her fasten her bra and again she'd insisted on wearing one of his shirts. It was warmer and better than wearing the same two sweaters she owned.

"What do you think happened?" She ventured.

"Hard to tell." Daryl shrugged. "'Least he's contained. I'm more pissed that Dog saw my ass."

Carol bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing; still she had a bad feeling building inside her. They'd had their emergency plan worked out and had been running through drills for weeks. Problem was, you never knew what was going to happen for sure. They could only prepare as best they knew how with what supplies they had and could scavenge. But things had been almost too calm since everyone began feelin' better. The runs they'd made had been easy; Daryl's hunts had been plentiful. Beth and Maggie were almost as good as she was when it came to throwin' knives. They were prepared, but beginning to get comfortable and Gunther turning, it was dose of reality, no matter if he was safe in his cell and easy to take care of.

At the door he paused, adjusting the crossbow on his shoulder. "I want you to go up and wake Rick. Tell him to get his ass down to the cell block."

She held up her hand – she wanted to tell him to be careful, but he waved her on. "Go." He told her.

Heaving a sigh, she did as she was told. He could be a cantankerous son-of-a-gun. She found Rick on her way through the kitchen scooping coffee into the percolator and let him know he was needed.

She finished making the coffee for him and went down with a tray of it for the guys, remembering Daryl had wanted some earlier. It was hard to focus the past two weeks because her mind kept flashing back to every intimate moment they'd shared since coming to the prison, and even at the camp. It had been a strange journey. Everyone knew they were "together" now although it wasn't discussed and she was fine with that. He did enough to show he cared deeply for her without the public display of affection you'd normally see between a couple. She didn't want to risk marring the fragile beginnings of whatever was happening between them. She kept all her thoughts for her journal.

He'd found her the same way several nights, in the next room, her not wanting to disturb his sleep, but him missing the warmth of her in their bed. A few of those nights the outcome was the same as that first night. The shower had been her idea this morning. They'd both been awake, aroused and if she were honest with herself, she'd wanted and deserved to have a moment like that. Who knew when or if they would be able to again?

Tray in hand she found the three men in the hallway near the cells, dragging Gunther's lifeless body out from behind the bars. Mark was in a panic, pacing in his cell.

"I heard him last night; he said he didn't feel good before the lights went out. Never expected he'd kick the can. Why the hell did he turn out like that? He didn't get bit."

Carol stopped in front of his cell. They'd all been briefed on what he was in prison for – armed robbery of a convenience store and killing two of the cashiers. The men were busy looking Gunther over as Daryl pulled the arrow out of his forehead. "He doesn't know?" She asked.

Daryl glanced up at her. "What the hell are you doin'?"

She stood her ground, knowing they hadn't told Mark anything and set the coffee tray on a nearby chair. "I brought coffee down."

"You shouldn't be down here." Rick said looking up at her.

Resigned to the fact that she had to listen to Rick, she turned to leave, but not before speaking her peace. "I'm going. But you should tell him what's going on. He deserves to know."

* * *

Daryl didn't have the chance to talk to her before he left to go hunting. When he got back, he didn't see her before going up on the roof for watch. Lately she'd walked him up when he was on duty and he would go up with her when it was her turn but she was nowhere to be found.

Bein' on watch was boring as fuck but he knew if anyone were to spot someone sneakin' in or the geeks locked up in Cell Block Ten tryin' to get out, it'd be him. He kept a sharp eye. And it was somethin' like Gunther's heart attack in the night last night that needed to happen to wake them up. Rick hadn't wanted it to happen but they were all gettin' too comfortable, despite all the preparations in case of an attack. He still hadn't cleared things up with Carol from back when he'd been sick. He wanted to know for sure what she would do if anything happened to him and since the first night when he lost all control with her, gave in to everything he felt, she still couldn't give him a straight answer. He hadn't nagged at her, but it had come up.

And now in a few hours he'd see her at the meeting and she'd still be pissed about this mornin'. He wanted to tell her she'd been right and they'd told Mark about them all bein' infected, about how other than a head shot, you'd turn. He shoulda been told before now. The kid hadn't taken the news well. It didn't matter much to Daryl. Once you were dead you were dead and if you were lucky you'd have someone around to put a bullet in your brain before you up and wandered around like you didn't have one. Was that too much to ask? That she'd do that for him if he got that way and tried to stay alive after that as long as she could?

The sun was setting and a cool breeze blowing in from the east when Andrea tapped him on the shoulder. "They're getting ready in the kitchen."

He was surprised to see her. Michonne was supposed to come up next. "You're not goin'?"

She shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. "I've been to enough of them. Same old shit. I know what to do."

"You don't wanna be around Rick is all."

"And why would I?" She asked.

Daryl stood up. "Maybe it's time you got over it. Cut Rick some slack. Shane was a threat to all of us. He only paid attention to you because you were an able body."

He saw it coming before he felt it. She drew back and slapped him across the face. He resisted the urge to fight. Andrea wanted to be like one of the guys, all empowered but she sure didn't hit like one. Raising a hand to his cheek, he simply nodded. "Good at dishin' out the truth but you just can't take it can ya?"

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him walk away. "Bastard." She muttered. And he found himself chuckling as he went down the stairs, forgetting all about the fact that Carol was probably pissed at him too.

Tyreese, T-Dog and Rick had rigged an alarm system to the prison generator. Whoever had watch on the roof could trigger the alarm for everyone inside to hear. The alarm was to be used in any emergency. On their last few runs they'd been able to grab a few more vehicles to make trips with. Their convoy was camouflaged - their cars, trucks and Daryl's bike were along the west wall of the prison, tanks full, stocked with weapons, staple food, ammunition, blankets, pillows, extra clothing and anything else they would need. In the event of an invasion, if it were a large group, Cell Block Ten could be opened from the roof after the person on guard made sure everyone had made it to the west wall. Rick agreed to be the last one to leave, giving Mark his freedom, but he wouldn't be allowed to go with them.

It all sounded good to Daryl, but when it came down to it, nothin' was ever that easy. Carol gave him an uneasy look from across the table. He heard everything Rick was sayin' but it was tough to focus when all he wanted was to talk to her. What had she been doin' all day?

They went through a drill with Andrea included, shooting him dirty looks when they all met on the roof before dinner. Carol was quiet as she ate next to him. And he intentionally hung around bringing left over dishes to the sink while she and Beth washed and dried.

There was only an hour left before she had to relieve Andrea and he had every intention of talking to her before then. "Beth do you have that last glass?"

The girls eyes grew wide, and she shook her head yes.

"I need to borrow Carol from ya."

"Go on Carol, it's only one more glass. I'm heading to bed after this. Practice wore me out."

"Okay, good night." She said, putting her arm around Beth and giving her a squeeze.

Once in the hall with Daryl, she eyed him cautiously. "Hi." Was all she said. It was so formal and inappropriate for them, he had to smirk.

"You're avoidin' me." He accused.

"No, I wasn't avoiding you. You went hunting; you were up on the roof."

"Yeah, but you didn't come see me. Thought you was mad about this mornin'."

"Daryl I've been snapped at hundreds of times. It's no big deal." She seemed down and he didn't know what to do. "Walk me up to the roof. I wanna get up their early."

They switched the way they were going and she grabbed a heavy coat from the coat rack near the hallway door on the way, shouldering it on over the knapsack she carried. He wasn't lookin' forward to facing Andrea again, but he would because once she left he'd have Carol to himself.

Surprisingly she didn't let on that anything had happened earlier, handing the night vision goggles to Carol. "There's juice in the hut there."

"Thanks." Carol said, setting her bag down and bringing out her journal. Lifting the goggles to her eyes, she scanned the area.

He heard Andrea's footsteps retreating and stood beside her. "I'm sorry 'bout this mornin'. Just wasn't anything you'd want to deal with if ya didn't have to. We told Mark."

"It's not just that Daryl."

"Well what then?"

"It's been weighin' on me because I haven't really talked much about the conversation Rick and I had when you were sick. I know you trust me enough to do right by you if it came down to it – and I would. Truth is I don't wanna think about it. We've all lost enough. And you and I? We just found each other. Goin' on without you – I tossed and turned on it, I still don't know if I wouldn't lose my mind."

"You gotta be outta your mind now to think I'm that important."

"Daryl aren't we past that? You thinkin' you're not good enough? Be honest now, and I've wondered. What if the shoe was on the other foot? What would you do?"

He stood only a few inches away from her and wanted to grab her for bringing it up. He hadn't thought about it that way. Before he would've wanted to live. Now, even with all of the group depending on him, if she were gone?

She gave him a sideways, "See I told you." glance and lifted the goggles to her eyes adjusting them. He slid his arms around her and felt her go stiff. "What? What the hell is it?"

"Shh. Hold still." She handed him the goggles. "Do you see movement by the gate?"

He lifted them to his eyes keeping his hand on her waist. "Could be a walker." But then he saw the gate swing open and he knew. He knew once he spotted five or six men that appeared armed come blowin' through the gate that they'd padlocked with heavy chain.

"Ring the alarm."

"Shit." She said moving back into the hut to pull the chord, her journal slapping on the ground.


	24. Leadership Roles

**Chapter 24 - Action! Fun stuff and a little angsty! Thank you one and all for reviewing. You all are the best! Kat**

Once she pulled the alarm, they were committed to going through with the evacuation. Daryl had the goggles glued to his face. "Looked like a small group at first. They're armed and there's more comin'."

She knew right then they would have to open Cell Block Ten and rushed over to the lever to do so. He went with her walking backwards keeping his eye on the sprawl of men creeping across the large lawn. "We have about three minutes before they reach the doors, let 'em out!"

Her hand froze on it for a split second. _Don't panic._ That was the most important thing. Cell Block Ten opened and the dead poured out, routing their way across the lawn to the intruders. Mayhem ensued on the grounds below them. She could hear screams of agony and also gunshots.

"Everyone should be on their way." Daryl yelled from the roof's edge, while she kept her eye on the hallway waiting for the others, hearing their footsteps approaching.

"They are." She told him. "Let's go." She ran into the hut to get her bag and he followed close behind, picking up her journal and shoving it in the waist band of his pants. When she turned around she was in his arms and he took a second to kiss her before grabbing her hand to pull her into the hallway to meet the others. It'd been a desperate kiss, everything they'd talked about weighing in, in that moment.

Carol did a head count, everyone except for Rick and Michonne gathered near the exit. Lori threw safety ladder through the window. "Rick should be comin'."

"Where's Michonne?" Carol asked, but saw her walking towards them without her walkers. She'd known she'd have to part with them at some point. Her massive samurai sword glinted in the florescent light. Carol had envied her skills more than once.

Daryl took the goggles and scanned the area near the cars. "Looks like we're clear." Tyreese nodded and took the lead with his rifle strapped to his shoulder, followed by Glenn, Maggie, Beth, Herschel and T-Dog.

"Go on Carol." Daryl told her, nodding her on. Lori had Carl by the shoulders.

"Dad's not back yet." Carl said, on the verge of tears.

Lori knelt down, "I want you to go with Carol. I'm gonna go find your dad."

"Lori, No." Carol said the same time Daryl did, only Daryl was angry. "Damnit he'll be here. Follow the fucking plan."

Lori gave him a fierce look. "Fuck the plan. I'm going to get my husband." She kissed Carl's forehead and pushed him toward Carol, who instantly tried calming him.

"Come on, let's go, I'll go first and you can climb down in front of me." Carol told him. She climbed out the window without a thought as to whether Daryl would follow them. She was about three rungs down with Carl practically in her arms and he was crying when she saw Daryl lean out the window. "I'll be right back." He looked torn, his expression giving off pain, love. "Go. If we're not back within ten minutes or if they catch wind of where you're hidin' then leave. We'll meet up at camp."

That was their first meeting point, back at the camp, even with it being so close to the road, they knew the place and planned on hiding their vehicles behind the mess hall.

"Daryl." Was all she could say. "Damnit." She knew she had to get Carl down to the convoy. "Be safe." Tears threatened to spill over. She wanted to tell him right then and there that she loved him. It was right on the tip of her tongue.

"Go – go. I'll see ya soon." She watched him push off the window sill with both his hands and utter a string of curse words as he went after Lori.

"Michonne's up there too." Carl said, through his tears. Carol glanced up not seeing her either and continued on their climb down, thinking that was a good thing. Michonne with her sword, Daryl with the bow. They'd bring Lori and Rick back. She hopped down with Carl and let the rest of them know what was going on.

"Let's get everyone in the vehicles as quietly as possible." T-Dog suggested. "We'll keep 'em covered and wait. They got ten minutes."

Maggie, Glenn, Herschel and Beth jumped in the Prius, T-Dog and Carol took Carl to the truck. Andrea and Tyreese hopped in the last car. They'd covered each vehicle with brush and blankets of leaves, but Carol rolled the window down and couldn't take her eyes off the window high above them, waiting for them to appear, safe.

After several minutes Glenn ran back to the truck, tapping his watch. "We need to go."

"Not yet." Carol said through gritted teeth.

"No, my Mom and Dad." Carl cried, tugging on Carol's coat. She heard a crash, as T-Dog slammed his hands on the dashboard and got out of the truck. "What the hell is keeping them? We had this worked out and that crazy bitch had to run back in there."

"Carl." Carol said, carefully. "I'm going to step out of the truck to talk to the others. Now this is for real and really important Carl. Stay in the truck. I'll just be a minute."

When she got out, T-Dog and Glenn were arguing. "We've waited ten minutes already." She interrupted. "I trust Daryl, they'll meet up with us at the camp. Come on, it's our only chance to get out of here alive."

T-Dog put a hand on her shoulder. "We will. Hang on just a sec. I just wanna check out the front. I'm gonna peek over the wall."

She watched him, getting her knives ready. The prison lights blinked on illuminating the grounds in front. Light spilled over the wall and T-Dog had to duck down before anyone saw him. Unable to help herself she joined him. "Carol get the hell back to the truck."

She ignored him, peeking up to where her head was level with his. Her hands instantly flew to her mouth when she saw a mob of men fighting off walkers, marching toward the gate with Lori, Rick, Michonne and Daryl in custody. Their hands were bound behind their backs, and they had cloth bags over their heads.

The scream died in her throat when T-Dog put his arms around her, covering her mouth. "Shhhh. We can't do anything about it. We need to go."

She fought to get out of his arms but he just squeezed tighter, forcing her tears to roll out onto the ground. _They're dead._ She thought. _They're all dead._ The men leading them away were manhandling them, even Lori.

"They're dressed in some kind of uniforms." She whispered.

"That's not government. Not treating them like that." T-Dog noted.

They watched until the men that managed to make it away from the walkers, and the four lost from their group were out of sight. "We need to follow them. We need to figure out where they're taking them." Carol cried. She turned to head back to the truck and found Carl behind her. "My Mom and Dad. What happened? Wh-where are they?"

She quickly wiped the tears away and knelt down to the boy, unsure of what to tell him. Pausing to think of what Daryl would want, she cleared her throat. "We need to get to the camp, that is our meeting point and hopefully they will find us there."

Carl shook his head, tears tumbling down his cheeks. "You don't believe that do you?"

Carol fought back her own tears. "It's all I can believe at this point. Looking up, everyone began filing out of their vehicles, Tyreese and Andrea hung back, keeping a sharp eye on the wooded area around them.

"What happened?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah what's with the lights?" Glenn added.

Carol looked at T-Dog and back. "We're going to the camp. We need to take the back route. What's left of the invading group is leaving down the main road."

"No tellin' how many are inside ransacking the place." T-Dog added.

"Why are you crying Carol?" Carl asked.

She couldn't tell him. Not yet. She couldn't even get it through her own head that four of their group were gone and there was no tellin' what would happen to them. "Maggie, can you take Carl with you? Glenn, you know the way, right?" She couldn't let the boy see her lose it and she was about to.

They gave her stunned nods. Suddenly she was in charge. "Go on. Get in." She told Carl, making sure he listened.

T-Dog held his arm out for her to take as they walked toward Andrea and Tyreese. Andrea rolled her eyes. "They're not coming out of there are they?"

"Plan is to head to the camp for shelter. I just need to – that's what we were supposed to do so let's go." Carol snapped, pulling her bag up on her shoulder.

The small convoy pulled onto the trail they'd mapped out that would lead them to the camp the back way. It would take a little over an hour and a half instead of an hour the straight shot down the main drag, but they wouldn't run into the enemy group.

Carol curled up in a ball, tears streaming down her face, on the seat next to T-Dog watching the prison disappear and the glint of chrome shining through the branches where Daryl's bike was hidden. The bike that she would be on right now if Lori hadn't gone after Rick and Daryl after Lori. Her worst nightmare was staring her in the face. Daryl wasn't gonna die of pneumonia or get killed by walkers like her little Sophia. He'd been taken from her and God only knew if she'd ever lay eyes on him again.

* * *

Daryl could barely see through the wooden slats of the cart they'd been thrown in. The bright lights of the prison yard had faded miles behind them and no light from the stars penetrated the clouds. He could hear the others in there with him but no one was talking. Maybe they were gagged, he didn't know.

When they'd come across Lori and Rick near bottom of the stairway, Rick was cradling Lori in his arms crying, blood rushing down her cheek. "Why'd you let her come back? I was on my way."

All Daryl could tell him was he'd tried. Damn woman was stubborn. "She must've fallen." He said to Michonne who stood there dumbfounded as well.

It was around that point that the men in the strange uniforms came and busted through the front doors making their way around the corner to where the four of them were. They had high powered rifles, just like Daryl had originally seen from the roof when he'd been up there with Carol. Carol. He couldn't think about her, whether she'd made it out safe. She'd gone down the ladder with Carl and that was the last he'd seen her. Maybe the last he'd ever see her. A million drills and plans couldn't prepare him for the pain he felt not knowin' if she was okay.

The car pulling the cart turned a sharp corner and someone slumped into him. She moaned a little and it sounded like Lori. "Hey." He whispered. "Lori." He bumped her as lightly as he could with his elbow. "You alive?" If she wasn't he didn't want to get eaten alive. If she was, he wondered how bad of a fall she'd taken.

"What the hell happened?" She whispered.

"The prison. Got over run, you went for Rick. Now thanks to you we're all in some damned shoebox." He scolded, but couldn't be more thankful she was alive and talkin'.

"God. Everything hurts." She moaned, leaning on his shoulder.

"Anything broken? My hands are bound. I can't tell." Daryl told her.

"I don't – think so. Where's Rick? Is Carl okay?" She asked. He heard her shuffling around. "My hands are zip-tied too. Rick where are you?" Her voice grew louder, as panic set in.

"Shhh. You need to be still. Let 'em think we're unconscious. I'll feel around."

He rocked back and forth on his hips, rolling over, catching a nail with his elbow. "Shit." He muttered, plowing his face into the sole of a boot.  
"Rick." He squirmed his way up next to his leg and rolled into him trying to wake him. "Rick!"

"Hm? Wha – Lori, Carl? Where the hell are we?"

Daryl went through the same explanation he just ran through with Lori and let him know she was alright.

"I think Michonne's next to me." Rick said as Daryl heard him nudge her awake.

"What'd they hit us with?" Daryl asked. "Ether?"

"Yeah, they didn't hit us at all. Daryl, did everyone else get out alright? Carl?"

"Carol was taking him down to the vehicles last I saw." Her name burned in his throat.

Rick heaved a big sigh. "I wonder what the hell this is all about, if this is the group Bud and Jeff were trading prisoners with."

"Hard tellin'." Daryl said, trying to situate himself to where he was at least part way comfortable. "Guess we'll find out when we get to wherever they're takin' us."

"How long have we been out?" Lori croaked.

"'Bout an hour and a half." Daryl ventured a guess. They'd slapped them all with ether by force, but he'd never passed out completely. All he heard was something about a governor. "You right. I think it might have somethin' to do with the group they worked with I heard the boys up there talkin' about the governor. Must be their ring leader."

Michonne cleared her throat. "I've heard about him. Before I came across Andrea in the woods I found this group who called their leader the governor. I was hoping to come across some decent people but these survivors are anything but. If that's where they're taking us, I'm warning you it's not gonna end well for some of them or for us."

"Well I ain't givin' up without a fight." Daryl chided.

"None of us are." Rick agreed.

* * *

The place appeared to be just as they left it from the back entrance. Carol's tears felt like thinned out glue adhered to her cheeks.

"First thing's first." She told T-Dog, who mercifully had been quiet most of the way there, not that it was unusual for him. "We'll have Andrea and Tyreese guard the vehicles. You and I will go through the back door and make sure all is clear. That okay with you?"

"That's fine. You gonna be alright?" He asked her, stretching his brawny arms out.

"No. Not really but we have to settle the group in for the night and figure out what to tell Carl."

T-Dog took a deep breath in and let it out. "I shoulda kept driving that day."

"What day?"

"When the farm went. I had Lori and Beth in the truck and all I wanted then was to head to the coast."

"And what happened?"

"Lori grabbed Beth and threatened to jump out of the truck so I turned around."

Sensing the pent up anger inside him, she laid a hand on his arm. "No one likes having their choices made for them. Look at Andrea and how long she was angry with Dale when he made her leave the CDC. Lori loves Rick. And if Daryl hadn't made me go I would've climbed back up that ladder and - "

"And you'd be in as much trouble as they are in."

Her stomach ached right to the core. She knew he and Rick would want them all to stay together. There was still the possibility that they could escape, though chances seemed slim. "Enough of runnin' through scenarios. Let's see what we got inside the mess hall and get settled in."

T-Dog made his way along the driver's side of the vehicles letting them know what they were doing. Andrea and Tyreese waited outside. Carl's face was pressed to the glass.

The back door stood wide open and inside they could hear scuffling and moaning. T-Dog had his rifle and Carol readied her knife and the flashlight from the back of the truck. Aiming it inside they saw four wandering aimlessly and the front door was closed. Thank God. He nodded to the two closest to them. She beamed the flashlight on the walker nearest them. It snarled, it's teeth sharp and bloody. T-Dog took the butt of the gun and rammed it in the head, the second came quick and Carol plunged the knife into the top of its head being careful to grip the handle tight. It tipped toward her and she lost her balance, letting out a squeal as the thing fell on her. T-Dog rolled it off her as the third walker lunged at him. She aimed the flashlight up just in time for him to punch it in the jaw, dislocating the fragile bones, breaking the skin along it's cheek.

"Don't cut yourself." She warned, getting to her feet keeping the light aimed on it. She threw him her knife as she grabbed the second one from the sheath at her calf. He took that one out easily.

The fourth walker was already down, dragging around by its arms with a broken leg. "I got it." She said, ramming he knife through its skull, remembering Ed. All the rage from that night and losing Daryl weighed in and it took all T-Dog's strength to pull her off it.

"We need to get you calmed down before we bring everyone else in."

"Too late." Andrea said from the doorway. "You need to fill us in on what happened back there. Now."

Carol looked up from the walker, blood splattered across her face. "When we secure this place and get everyone in here safe, I'll talk. Not now." She felt bad for being a bitch but she knew what Daryl would do, what Rick would do and by Christ that's what they were gonna do. She guessed Daryl had his answer as to what she'd do even if he wasn't there to know it.


	25. Life Lines

**Howdy! I just wanted to warn you all that I am leaving tomorrow for a week to Florida on vacation. I am hoping to update a few times while I am there, but please understand if I'm slower with it. It'll be the first time hubby & I have had any significant time alone since we've been together. (13 yrs in Aug). But please read, review and enjoy this chapter. I have so much fun writing this! It's the meat & potatoes so to speak. {{{HUGS}}} Kat**

"There goes another one." Beth said, peeking through the curtains. Carol crept over to her and saw the headlights pass by on the road above the mess hall going away from the prison. The beams flickered through the trees. It felt like her heart had been ripped out, wondering if any of the vehicles passing by carried Daryl and the others.

"It's not safe with them going to and from the prison like they've been. I know it's an hour away but they're using that road as their main route. We're too close." Andrea told her.

"This was where we were supposed to meet them, in case anything happened." Carl piped up. He'd been trying to be brave, but once Carol sat him down and gently explained what had happened, he had been crying on and off for the last hour or two.

"I know." She said walking over and sitting beside him. We're all worried about them, but your daddy is a brave strong man. We need to believe they'll find a way back to us."

"Daryl and Michonne are strong too." He said, nodding as if to reaffirm it to himself. "But my mom. The baby." And the tears began once again.

Carol made slow circles on his back remembering how she'd lost hope after the first few days as they were searching for Sophia. "There is another place we can hide out." Carol told the others. It's back a bit further through the woods than the camp, about a half an hour away."

"The house of horrors?" T-Dog asked "I don't think so."

"It's smack in the middle of the woods, with no real roads leading in or out." Carol argued. "We could clean it up. Stock our supplies. I'm pretty sure the generator was full when – when Daryl and I left." She choked on the lump in her throat when she said his name. "In the mean time, we need to find out where these people are coming from, a few of us could follow them, but we need to move at first light."

"Carol's right." Carl said. "The quicker we find them - "

"We're gonna listen to the kid now?" Tyreese asked.

Glenn and Maggie held hands, looked at each other as if agreeing on something. "We need to go after them." Maggie said, and the remainder of the group needs to get away from this road."

"Andrea, what do you think?" Carol asked as they joined Beth back at the window.

"I agree. I owe Michonne. And I feel really bad about how I left things with Daryl."

Carol turned toward her furrowing her brow. "What happened with Daryl?"

Andrea stared out between the curtains. "He gave me a good dose of reality and I didn't like it. I never thought about not having the chance to clear it up."

Carol laid a hand on her shoulder. "You'll get the chance. We're gonna go after them." She wasn't going to drive herself crazy speculating and waiting around like she did with Sophia. She would act, the way Daryl had while looking for her. She turned to the rest of the group. "At first light we'll gather our things. There's a path, it's little more than a goat path, but our truck will make it. We can leave the cars parked behind the old house down there."

Andrea glanced at everyone. "Looks like it's settled."

Hershel stood up. He'd been so quiet since they'd left the farm, helping where he could. "It's settled." Beth gave him a nervous smile and walked over to hug him. "We'll find them Daddy."

Carol crossed her arms and nodded. The next few hours would be hell waiting.

* * *

They stopped an hour or so later. Daryl had lost track of time. It was still pitch black. Lori had shifted to where they could get comfortable, her head and shoulders propped against his back. When the hatch was opened eager hands groped inside for the women first. Rick and Daryl were left alone for a few minutes listening to them struggle as they were lead away.

"I think I just about got the zip tie ripped apart." Daryl whispered. He'd been working it on the nail that'd scratched him earlier and felt a distinct pop, then the freedom to move his cramped arms. His knife was gone but they hadn't swiped the one in his boot. Rick moved around to where Daryl could cut him free.

They made it to the edge of the cart looking out seeing two men, one on each side. "We're gonna have to do this real quiet. I got my knife. What do you got?"

"My hands." Rick whispered back. "I'll be fine."

Daryl nodded, though he was sure it was too dark to see. "On three." Rick whispered, giving him three distinct taps with his fingers.

Rick snapped the first guard's neck and had his gun before Daryl had the chance to stab the other. He caught onto what was happening and elbowed Daryl in the gut, taking the wind out of him. He found himself falling to the same side that the guard was and used the momentum to sink the knife in his temple. He ghosted the crossbow, rotating his shoulder, used to it being right there handy wondering if it was back at the prison or if they'd brought it here. The dead guard's pistol would work for now and the ammo in his shirt pocket was just a bonus.

More guards stood further up, but they'd been so quiet taking out the first two that they were able to slip past them along the side of the building. It turned out to be a newer housing development – cookie cutter houses with tan vinyl siding. A huge wall spanned the community, most likely going all the way around it, but live oak hung over the section they walked past reminding him of eerie mangled arms reaching for them.

"Wait." Rick said holding him back. "Do you hear that?"

Daryl listened for a minute. He heard them ahead on the next road over a little ways ahead of them. Michonne running her mouth to their captors and Lori crying out in pain, begging them to slow down.

"Keep going, it can't be far." Rick said.

"What's your plan, we sneak in from the back? Likely these places are locked down tight."

"They're taking them to this governor person, no doubt."

Daryl nodded in agreement, keeping an eye out for any that may be advancing on them from behind. Three more houses down, they heard the struggling end and a door slam. It was one of the bigger houses in the development with a huge wooden fence around the back yard. Rick scanned the fence line for a gap to look through, stopping when he found one. "Believe it or not, there's no one guarding the place out back. The place has a damned swimming pool and jacuzzi."

Here they'd been conserving their resources and this bastard was lording over this sector living the high life and Christ knew what else. Rick scaled the fence first. Daryl got a bad feeling about it half way up but there wasn't much choice once he rolled over the top and landed on his feet in the yard below.

The pool lights illuminated the aqua water, rippling it in the cold breeze. The jacuzzi was silent and the back porch light had attracted what moths and creatures that still braved the colder weather.

"Let's keep to the shadows and check things out around the house for a way in." Rick suggested.

"Ya really think it's gonna be that easy? They ain't gonna open the door and invite us in for cocktails.

"No." Rick spat out, "But what choice do we have, that's my wife and my child in there."

Daryl closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If it were Carol he knew he wouldn't hesitate and Rick would be with him.

"Welcome gentleman." A voice boomed from some kind of surround sound speaker. They hesitated, looking for the source but it was impossible. "You've come for your women, I take it?"

"Bring them out to us." Rick bargained. "We've killed two of your men and we're not leaving without them or a fight."

There came a low chuckle that built into a maddening, almost deafening laugh. "Those men you killed, you will pay dearly for. I traded three days worth of supplies to another group for them. No worries, though they were – expendable. Or better yet. I could replace them – with you."

Daryl wasn't in the mood to play games with the sick bastard. "Bring out the women and we'll play nice. Let them go and we'll stay."

Another laugh boomed around them. "Your women are more valuable than you two could ever be. But why don't you come on in where it's warm. We can talk it over."

At the sliding glass door, the curtain pulled back and a team of about fifteen men all dressed in the same blue uniforms they'd seen on the other men earlier filed out into the yard.

Rick and Daryl both drew the guns they'd stolen, though it was clear they were outnumbered. They were advancing on them, when Rick spied Daryl's itchy trigger finger. "Don't fire. They'll kill us both. They've got bullet proof vests and they're fifteen of them, two of us."

Daryl's breathing kicked up. If he could, he'd admit to himself he was afraid. Not afraid of dying, but never seeing Carol again. Once they'd gotten free of the crate and taken care of the two that were guarding them, he'd had a fleeting moment where he wanted to jump the wall and hike it back to where he knew Carol would be. But he'd come all this way, gone back into the prison after Lori. There was no turning back now, even if it came down to him dying right here.

Suddenly they were unarmed and being pulled into the place the governor called his home. Above them on the second floor he could hear Lori crying and thrashing from another corner of the house, most likely Michonne putting up a fight. He wasn't a fool and knew what was most likely happening.

Rick looked strangely calm – almost insane. That was his wife up there whom he'd been with over a bit over a decade. He couldn't imagine what was goin' through his head.

"Come on boys. It's time for you to do some reflecting. There'll be plenty of play time for you two later on." The man chided from Rick's side.

They were taken around the corner to the basement but not before Daryl spied their weapons – specifically the crossbow, on the other side of the couch in what used to be the living room of the house. An ounce of hope streaked through him. There was his old reliable. If they could escape he'd know right where it was.

Daryl was thrown into a cold room where there used to be a washer and a dryer. A spill of cold water that had been left to evaporate dribbled across the small space of the room. He was shoved in and the door closed and locked. He was surprised when they hadn't thrown zip ties around his wrists again but once he turned on the light he knew why. The door that had once been made of wood was now made of steel, the strong kind. He tried the knife he'd thrown back in his boot and there was no budging it.

It smelled like earth and concrete. He hated basements. This one was a penthouse compared to his Daddy's root cellar with the crates of long-ago rotted vegetables his mama had left there, the endless cobwebs and rotted out floor joists above him, but still it was a basement.

Behind him, he could hear Rick pounding on the wall They'd left them down there alone, which wasn't good in Daryl's opinion. It meant the governor was busy with the women upstairs and maybe his men were too. He could hear Rick trying to talk to him but couldn't make out a word he was saying. Resigning to just waiting it out and getting his head together for a moment, he smashed the wall with his fist. "I can't fucking hear you." He screamed.

When he sat down he yanked at his hair and tried to catch his breath. This was bad. This was really bad but something poked him in the stomach, something flat and smooth, pushing up against his abs. Carol's journal. He'd forgotten all about it. With all that had happened, he couldn't believe it'd stayed in his waistband.

He pulled it out, staring at the front cover – the Cherokee Roses in the background. How many times in the past two weeks he'd gone into that extra room to find her writing and how many times had he gone in to have her stop and pull him in the room with her voice, knowin' he'd touch her, be with her. Honored that she'd let him.

Normally he would never snoop through what she'd written. That was her business. He'd never set out to grab it for her so he could nose through it, but right now he needed her more than he ever had. He opened the cover and saw her small, loopy handwriting, remembering back to the night they'd played twenty questions and had first seen it.

_"Today I received this journal from someone who has become very special to me. I don't think I've had one since I was a little girl. I wish I would've been able to buy things like this for my little Sophia, but I was always afraid – I won't even write his name – would take it from her. He always kept strict control over the finances and there was no room for frivolous purchases. _

_But that isn't what I want to write about. So much has changed. Sophia is in heaven, where I don't have to worry about her safety anymore. I feel a sense of peace with it now and it's not because I met the man who gave me this. It's because I truly believe she, my beautiful Sophia is the one who brought him to me. It's been a challenge to go from what things were like in the beginning for us to where we are now – the odd glances and stares, the sweetness that I noticed in him even before he brought me the Cherokee Rose in a beer bottle. Daryl Dixon is as rough around the edges as they come but he's a survivor and it's him who has inspired the changes I find happening inside myself."_

Daryl skipped through to her last entry. It'd been that afternoon.

"_I have no desire to be tough and rugged like Andrea or Michonne, though I do envy their skills. I know I'm fairly good with the knives, but I'll never be a sword wielding, gun slinging bad ass. Daryl keeps pushing and pushing for me to keep going and that's what I intend to do. His big fear since he got sick is if anything happened to him that I would give up. I've thought and thought and thought on it, knowing it would nearly kill me if anything did, but I looked back through to what I've written in this journal so far and inside my words and thoughts, I see hope. I see the person I always wanted to be reaching through. I don't want him to have to worry about me anymore. I know it's killing him. I plan on telling him tonight – I thought about it all day. He means that much to me. I would go on without him because I know that is what he'd want. I will fight whatever comes my way until my last dying breath. I only hope he believes me and doesn't think I'm saying it to please him._

_This morning's shower couldn't have been more perfect. I think if I'd had a man in my life like him all along I never would've been able to appreciate what I have now. I'm in love with him and have no idea how to tell him without scaring him away. So I 'spose I'll talk to him tonight about the strength I've found first and save the rest for another time. That is if I ever dare spill what's in my heart. That's never been easy. Things with Daryl are always like walking on egg shells, but it's a beautiful thing with him. It is."_

Daryl closed the journal and found his face wet. He used to say his eyes were sweating, when Daddy would get pissed about him cryin' like a pussy. But with the solid lump in his chest, he couldn't deny that her words had hit home. He knew even if she weren't okay right now that she'd done him proud. Standing up, he paced for a minute or two trying to figure out just how he felt about everything else, tucking the journal back in his waistband. He was gonna get the fuck out of here and find her.

Hours passed, he thought, though it could've been a shorter time for all he knew when he heard a tumblin' come down the steps and heard Lori's cry from under the door. "Rick - " Her voice sounded tortured.

The sound drew him to the door before he felt his feet hit the ground. "Lori, what the hell's goin' on?" He tried being quiet, having no idea what had happened. There was a distinct sound of a key in the lock and when the door opened, she tumbled inside, blood soaking the front of her shirt. He caught her quickly, her dark hair spilling over his arms.

"What the fuck? What the fuck happened?" His heart leaped into his throat. Lori and he had had their ups and downs but he never wanted anything to happen to her, never.

"The baby's dead Daryl. It turned - inside me." She held up a knife and pointed to where – "I had to do it." She sobbed. It was scratching and clawin' at me. God Daryl, where's Rick?"

"Next room." He told her looking around for something to wrap around her waist. There was a sheet in the corner. He laid her down and ripped it apart binding the wound, feeling the lifeless infant inside her, just making sure it was dead. "Where the hell did that bastard governor go?"

Her breaths were shallow and then fast. "Meeting. He – hurt - Michonne. She's still upstairs. I killed the three guards that were near the steps – heard them talkin' about where you were."

He lifted her slowly, carrying her much like she was an infant. "Let's go. We'll get you to Rick." Carol didn't know it but she'd given him a good dose of strength and by Christ, he thought looking down how pale Lori was in his arms he'd need it – they all would.


	26. Ships In The Night

**Hello from my vacay in Florida! It just so happened I had 26 started before we left and was able to finish it on the plane because for some odd reason they gave me a different seat once we boarded, which left him 3 rows ahead of me with a screaming 2 yr old next to him. Poor guy. I, however cramped I was, was able to get this done. I promise a reunion next chapter. I just had to deal with a few things in this one. :( Enjoying Florida! Heading out to swim soon! Enjoy and please review, you all keep me going and I appreciate it! Kat**

She kicked herself the whole drive to the "House of Horrors" as T-Dog had called it. She'd chickened out the night before. She'd planned on telling him that she'd stay alive for herself, she was going to ease his worries, but there'd been no time before the attack. She'd given him the same answer, the same excuse she'd shoved his way since he'd been sick. She'd even written it all out in her journal yesterday afternoon. Her journal! She dug through her bag bumping T-Dog in the stomach, throwing everything she'd come to own since they'd boarded at the prison all over her lap in the back of the truck.

"What the hell are you doin'?" T-Dog snapped at her. "You look like a little woodchuck rootin' that bag."

"I think Daryl has my journal." She said out loud. There was a point where it fell. She'd grabbed the bag and he'd shoved the journal in his pants. "Damnit." If it fell into the wrong hands they'd know how many were in their group and they'd come looking for them. She'd named off practically every one of them at one point or another. Not that she wanted to worry anyone else and there wasn't any changing it now. _Stop borrowing trouble. _She told herself.

The ride was the bumpiest ride she'd ever taken in her life aside from the ride her mom had taken her on when she was trying to bring on contractions for Sophia. For the half an hour it would've taken for them to get there it took double the time. Tyreese followed them close behind on the four wheeler that she and Daryl had used weeks back. Finally the house loomed ahead with a few scraggly walkers still stumbling about. They could've been a new crew that had made their way through or left over from the herd from weeks ago.

She almost gagged when she saw the remains of the slain family near the steps and the first man and walker she'd ever killed laying there, but Carol was proud of the way they worked together. Beth kept Carl in the truck, shielding him. He'd seen and been through enough and so had Beth for that matter and soon the house and surrounding area were clear for them to go in.

"See, it's not so bad in the main part of the house." She told everyone. "I never saw the upstairs or the basement though. Daryl said – well it's gonna need to be dealt with."

Everyone helped bring things into the house while Carol, Andrea and Tyreese investigated the basement. Tyreese opened the door first, eyes bugging at the places in the wood where the walkers had clawed it to shreds. Her stomach clenched into a thousand knots when they found the bodies. It looked like most had been covered or wrapped at one point but there were just so many, some hung up on hooks, some pulled down by the walkers that had broken in. All of them picked clean. The stench was the most horrible and unreal she'd ever come across in her whole life.

"We'll need to get them out of here, haul them far off into the woods. I don't want to risk burning them. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention." Carol said.

"Easy for you to say." Tyreese chuckled. "You won't be doing any of it."

Andrea rested a hand on his arm. "Neither will you, since you volunteered to come with us, remember? As a group we'll all be tackling things that aren't pleasant."

He sighed. "Let's check the upstairs and let them know what they're dealing with."

The upstairs was as the family had left it, two rooms for the boys, which looked like typical boy rooms and one they'd used for the killing. It was messy, but nothing like the basement had been. No bodies, only blood and rot to scrub away.

Before Carol, Andrea and Tyreese left, Maggie made sure they each had enough food to get them by for a night, it was all she could spare. "I promise to keep a good eye on Carl." She told them. "Bring them back safe to us."

Herschel gave Carol and Andrea each a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I believe you all came into our lives for a reason. You're like family now and I know you'll do your best." He eyed Carol especially. "Stay strong."

Carol nodded, tears pushing past her lashes. She wasn't afraid, just ready to find him.

T-Dog hung back near the steps, gloves on and ready to get to work. She walked over to him with her arms out. He looked angry and conflicted but hugged her back, whispering, "I wish I'd gone to the beach."

Carol laughed a sad laugh. "I wish we all were there too and none of this were happening. Keep them safe."

He gave her a peck on the cheek that surprised her, which she returned. "Thank you for bein' there when I needed you." She whispered. "All of you." She said out loud, turning back to the remainder of the group.

The thought was they'd walk back to the camp and follow the road on foot. They'd seen enough vehicles going to and from the prison to follow them to where the others were being held.

It would take an hour for them to get back there and after that she wasn't sure. Though she hoped the clue she'd left in the mess hall would lead Daryl and the others to the house in the woods if they reached camp before she, Andrea and Tyreese made it back. If it wasn't Daryl who found it, it probably wouldn't make any sense to anyone else, though Rick, Lori or Michonne might be able to figure it out.

* * *

Daryl didn't know if he was comin' or goin'. The last eight hours had been a blur. He'd carried Lori and the keys she'd come down the steps with to the door around the corner where Rick was being held. When he saw the state that Lori was in, he fell into a silent rage.

"We need to find Michonne and get the hell out of here before they get back." Daryl told him, making him look him in the eyes.

Rick wanted to know what happened – every gory detail but it wasn't the time and Daryl had to tell so him several times as they made their way up to Michonne. He found her in the fetal position on the floor of the master bedroom and quickly reached for the cover the bed. Knowing she didn't like physical contact as it was he knew she'd put up a fight with him after what she'd been through.

"Michonne." He said, covering her up. She was half clothed and Daryl had to look around the room for something to put on her. "Michonne. It's Daryl. It's gonna be alright. Not gonna hurt'cha."

She shook her head. "No. It's not alright." Pulling the covers up over her head, she went silent and still again. If they didn't move they were all dead. He knew he was riskin' getting' knocked around by her, but damnit they had to get her going. He found her pants and boots, albeit a little worse for wear and slid them on her as gently as he could. Bruises were already starting to show on her legs. He couldn't and didn't want to imagine where else. Thinking that was it, that he'd dressed her and that she'd come with them now, she sat up, letting the blanket fall off her shoulders and punched him straight on in the nose.

"Ah, fuck." He bitched, wiping at the blood that instantly poured from his left nostril. He wasn't equipped to deal with this sort of thing, not at all. It was a delicate situation, something horrifying she'd been through and he looked to Rick, knowing he'd get no sage advice from him, at least not at the moment. Hoisting Michonne over his shoulders, he started down the steps, blood dripping onto his shirt from his nose. It wasn't anything compared to what she'd dealt with the last few hours. She began putting up a fight after he took the last step, kneeing him in the balls and scratching through his shirt. He almost went down knees first on the floor. "Do that again and I'll leave you for dead." He hoped the threat would settle her down. "Come on, let's go."

On the way around the corner they passed by the three guards Lori had taken out, each one of their throats sliced. His bow was just where they'd left it. It was like greeting an old friend putting it back on, even though it'd only been hours since he had it last. Michonne's sword was tucked under the couch and he felt her reaching for it over his shoulder. "Oh no you don't. I got it." He didn't need to get his head sliced off.

They left the same way they came in, out the back door and over the fence. Rick laid Lori down, in the grass, climbed, and Daryl picked her up and hoisted her over as carefully as he could. When he went back for Michonne, she was trying to crawl back toward the house. "What the fuck are you doing?" He almost yelled, grabbing her ankle. She kicked and got him in the shin. "Damnit Rick I hope you're ready for her." He bitched in his quietest voice possible.

Picking her up wasn't an easy feat after she'd manhandled him, but he managed to heave her over without any more trouble. Once she was off the property she seemed to come around a little. They did the same for the outer wall of the community, except by then Michonne was able to use the live oak branches to hoist herself over the edge.

Now they sat in what used to be a shack deep in the woods, far away from the voices and ruckus they'd heard after their escape. Rick couldn't believe Lori had killed three guards in her condition. She was sick with the fever. He'd taken her to a corner holding her as long as he could, mouthing words to her that Daryl could barely hear. There was no way they'd make it any further, so it became a waiting game, one they'd played before. Lori made Rick promise to do what he needed to do in the end and he watched as Rick tearfully agreed. They had no food, but there'd been one lonely bottle of water they'd found in the place which they all shared.

All his thoughts went to Carol as he rested his head against the corner of an old windowsill, watching the sun stretch overhead. It would be a day or so before they made it back to that camp and he wondered if they would find the group safe there. The journal was uncomfortable to carry in his waist band but he couldn't be happier he had it. He opened it up to a random page and began reading. Soon, real soon he'd be able to put it back in her hands. He had to believe that.

_"Today I went off the prison property and fished with Andrea. It was a good day. It reminded her of the times she'd fished with Amy and her dad and me of the times when I'd gone with my granddad or my daddy. Daryl has been up and around but not well enough to get back to hunting for us full time. I could see him from the roof with the binoculars watching us. I hate that looking after me worries him so much and yet it's nice because it's been a long time since I had anyone look after me the way, well the way that it should've been in my marriage. I'm not really giving what's going on between us a name, which is what Andrea wanted to know of course. I don't think I have anyone I can talk to about it, including Daryl. Lori has been a good friend since Atlanta and it's not that I don't trust her, but there are just some things better saved for myself. Like the way he touches me. No one would think Daryl to be the gentle type. But my skin, everything burns (in a good way of course) when he lays his hands on me. He looks after me, the way he kisses me, and looks at me, how am I supposed to tell him how I feel when I don't quite understand it myself? When we first kissed at that camp, his first kiss, I remember telling him I didn't think I was ready for something like this. I was being honest. I know I've been fucked up for a long time, for lack of a better word. And so has he. So how do I go along and not put a label on it trying to convince myself I'm okay with that, when that's all my heart wants to do? You, you silly journal aren't gonna answer me that one. Maybe someday I'll have an answer as to whether he's feeling for me what I'm feeling for him."_

Daryl was at a loss. All that was prominent to him in the moment was what was going on between Rick and Lori and whether he wanted to admit it or not, at one point or another he'd wanted somethin' like what they had, maybe even something better - with the normal ups and downs that went with it. He just never tried because he'd been a chicken shit. Always takin' care of Merle, or his daddy once he got sick, until that son of a bitch died not too long before the walkers came. There'd been no one else to do it. He'd been a loner all of his life, never felt worth a tinker's damn but that didn't mean he wasn't capable of giving her what she wanted, what he knew he wanted.

Sometime later he tucked the journal away and drifted off to sleep. He woke up after an hour or two, the sun was on its way westward and Lori was talkin' to Rick.

"The baby died long before we got there I think. When I fell at the prison, I don't know. I didn't feel much in the way of movement until the governor came in – and started – Rick it's my fault." She cried. "If I had listened to Daryl."

Daryl closed his eyes and pretended not to hear her. He didn't want to know what they'd done to her and Michonne. It was a damned miracle that aside from a few scratches and bruises he'd be fine and he felt guilty that he and Rick were basically unscathed. It wasn't fair and he wasn't afraid to admit he was worried about how Rick would deal with Lori's death.

"You did what you had to do. And you got us out of there. We're gonna go back and find Carl. I promise you I'll do my best to keep our boy safe." Rick's eyes were red and swollen. The tears hadn't stopped since they'd left the housing development.

"I'm so sorry Rick, for bein' so difficult about Shane, for bein' such a bitch even though you'd never tell me." She tried to laugh but that didn't go over so well and she started coughing up blood, like she'd been doing for awhile now. "I love you. I always have."

Daryl watched as he pulled her face up to his, kissing her cheek. "I love you too." Rick told her, not hesitating. "Are you in any pain?"

She shook her head tellin' him she wasn't. "It's strange. I feel kinda numb. Remember how Jimmy said everything hurt? Must be it varies for people."

Rick rocked her as time moved in slow motion. Daryl drifted in and out of sleep hearing them talk or Michonne moving around behind him where she too was resting and recuperating, when finally he woke to Rick's guttural cry. Daryl was on his feet instantly trying to feel his way around in the dark. He knew Rick had done what he'd promised his wife.

Michonne joined Daryl at Rick's side. There wasn't much to say. No time for a burial service like Dale's or Sophia's. It took him a moment but Rick caught his breath and looked up at them both. "She asked that we dig a shallow grave and leave her here. I don't want to but - " His voice cracked.

"Not much time for anything else." Daryl said stating the facts. "I'll get to work." He reached out and laid a hand on Rick's shoulder and squeezed. He couldn't find anything but an old trowel and a stone rake, but he had a good dent made in the earth when Rick and Michonne met him outside.

"As soon as this is done we'll leave and find the others." Rick said, regaining some of his strength, but Daryl knew it was only because of what he promised her, only because there wasn't time to think right now.

If the situation had been less precarious Daryl would've hunted food or scavenged for them, but he'd wanted to make sure Rick would hold it together enough to do the right thing. And that meant the possibility of the three of them walking back at least eight hours or more – he wasn't sure – on empty stomachs.

"I'll hunt as we go. We need food."

Rick blew out a heavy breath, trying to focus though it was clear he couldn't. "Let's go." He told them once they were finished.

They followed along seeing the road from the woods, but cars and trucks were still making their way back and forth. "He's plannin' on settin' up camp at the prison." Daryl ventured a guess.

"It's a possibility." Rick said, not acting like he cared at the moment.

"I'm going to kill him." Michonne told them both in a low, gritty voice. "I plan on waiting him out until he gets there and that will be that."

"Who the hell is he?" Daryl asked, hoping she wasn't gonna swing on him.

"He says his name is Philip Blake. He's just - pure evil."

* * *

Carol, Andrea and Tyreese had walked for hours, finally coming to a spot along the road where they saw cars and trucks moving in and out of a newer housing development.

"What do you make of it?" Andrea asked.

"Let's get as close as we can without getting caught, see if we can get an idea as to where they're holding them – or what's happened to - " Carol started.

"Don't finish that sentence." Andrea snapped. "They're going to be okay."

Tyreese had already ventured up ahead finding a good spot in a broad span of azalea bushes. When Carol and Andrea joined him, he put a broad hand on each of their heads and gently pushed them down to his level. "Shh, listen."

"A little at a time. He can go back and forth for a little while but eventually he'll build an army at the prison. Too bad the two we had here last night got away. The brunette took out three of his top men. And the other one? Fiesty little bitch."

Carol covered her mouth.

"We got men combing the area. We'll find them. They couldn't have gotten far with the one of them hurt so badly. They opened that cellar door and found blood everywhere."

Andrea glanced over putting her hand on Carol's knee. "We're not safe. They'll find us instead."

Tyreese grumbled but they moved back into the wooded area following the road back the way they came. "They're alive. But if they've escaped it could've been hours ago. They'll be back before we are."

It was dark and cold and they had only a little bit of food left but she was never more ready to get going. Who was this man? And which one of their group had been hurt?


	27. Need For Words

**Hey y'all - just enjoying the last day of my vacay, which is today! It's been relaxing and much needed fun! I'm happy to post 27, which kind of stirs things up and we get a very Daryl-ish Daryl for a bit, which is always fun to write. Enjoy and review. I love hearing from you all! I own nothing concerning TWD, comic or show. Kat**

Daryl and Rick worked their way down through the wet grass to the mess hall at dawn, with Michonne trailing slowly behind them. They were hungry. Hunting game at night was nearly impossible. He'd caught one squirrel, but with no time for a fire he couldn't get Rick or Michonne to eat at all. What little bit he'd fed himself only made his stomach growl more.

He was grimy, dirty but better off than Michonne, who'd gone off into her own private 'Nam on their journey back. He'd had to keep the two of them goin' and it was hard enough to keep himself from runnin' out of steam.

It wasn't his thing to pray but he said one, quickly and silently as he swung the door open, finding the mess hall empty. "Fuck." He screamed, lowering the bow, losing it for the first time thirty-six hours. "Where the fuck are they?" He asked the barren room. Rick and Michonne stood in the doorway. Slowing his breathing and forcing the lump in his throat to go down, he scanned the floor for evidence that they'd at least made it there. "Blood, here on the floor. It's not fresh, but - " He kneeled down and swiped his finger through it. "Someone killed a walker in here recently."

Michonne pointed to the window she always sat near when they'd used the place for refuge before. He followed with his eyes and spotted the mug on the window sill with note secured to it with string.

"Christ." He muttered not able to get to it fast enough. His hands shook as he pulled the small piece of notebook paper from where she'd secured it. "Twenty questions." He read out loud, joy mixed with anxiety ringing clear in his voice. "I know where they are. Come on." He was exhausted and couldn't get them to move fast enough down the hill and into the woods.

Rick took off on a run to the house near the camp. "I'm just gonna check, be right back."

"Must be they took the truck through the woods, but I don't see any tracks. They couldn'ta taken the cars." Michonne was at his heels, making him uneasy as he walked the perimeter and found where they'd taken a route just before the camp and down past the lake where no one would be able to spot the tire tracks from the road. With the rain that looked like it was on its way, they would soon be washed over.

Rick ran back from his circle around the house. "Back there." He said, out of breath. "The two cars are well hidden around the back. Anyone comes by will think they belong there."

Daryl showed him how they'd gone in. "It's 'bout an hours walk."

Rick shrugged. "What's one more hour?"

_One more hour that I still don't know if she's alright. _He thought, but if she left that clue, she oughta be. They'd run into several walkers already, hopefully the woods on the way through would be clear and maybe he'd be able to find some game along the way to cook up once they arrived. He needed about three days sleep and he wondered if Carol had slept any since they'd been apart – doubtfully.

He saw the specks of color through the trees and had a string of squirrels and two rabbits on his belt by the time they arrived, despite hunting with eyes that burned red in the cool air.

T-Dog and Herschel were standing out front and Daryl made no bones about yelling to get their attention so they wouldn't mistake them for walkers or intruders.

"Holy shit." T-Dog said smiling, jumping off the porch steps. It looked like they'd been hard at work getting the place cleaned up. The first thing out of his mouth was to ask about Carol.

T-Dog's expression darkened. "You didn't see them on your way back through?"

Daryl's stomach dropped. "What the hell are you talkin' about? All of you are supposed to be here." He yelled. Maggie came rushing out of the house to quiet him with Carl and Beth in tow.

"Where's Mom?" Carl asked seeing his dad come through the hedgerow with Michonne.

Rick lowered his head, walked up the steps past everyone, latching onto Carl's arm and took him inside. Maggie gave Daryl a desperate look. "Lori?" Tears sprung into her eyes and Daryl looked away. He couldn't deal with the confusion. "She's dead." He announced uncouth and bluntly, pacing back and forth. "Where the fuck is Carol?"

Maggie took a step down to try and calm him, but he paced back in her direction, pissed off and ready for a fight if no one would answer his question. T-Dog held his arm out in front of Maggie as if to protect her and told him as calm as he could. "Look, it's obvious you three have been through hell." He eyed Michonne. "But they went scouting along the road, tried to follow those cars that were comin' and goin' from the prison. Tried to see where they'd taken you four."

Daryl's lips turned down in a grimace. He wanted her to be here. Why couldn't she have just stayed put? He took the rope of game off his waistband and threw it off to the side of the steps. Pulling the crossbow up tight on his shoulder he gave one guttural growl and headed back through the woods. When Michonne tried to follow him from the edge of the bushes, he turned around pointing at her. "You best leave me be. Lucky I saved your ass for all the shit I put up with from you."

What the hell was Carol thinkin'? Why would she even risk it? And how had she known they were taken? He hadn't talked to the others long enough to even ask.

* * *

"They've been here." Carol cheered, seeing that the string had been untied and her note was gone. There were fresh tracks in the dew down the back hill. Andrea, she and Tyreese filed out the back door following the trail.

"They must've been through recently." Andrea noted.

"There are only three sets of tracks though." Carol told them, her heart beating fast. They all were silent for a moment searching for a fourth set of footprints.

Andrea set her brow and put her hand on her hip. "Let's head into the woods. Come on."

Carol took a deep breath, pulled her bag up over her shoulder, pressing on. They waked about ten feet into the forest and came face to face with Daryl with his crossbow aimed at them.

"Shit." He said lowering it quickly.

"Daryl." She cried running toward him. The right side of his coat and face was caked with blood. "Are you hurt?"

He caught her by the arm before she could throw hers around him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled, not seeming to care if he drew a thousand walkers to them.

She didn't know how to react, relief was quickly replaced by confusion, as she looked him over. "All that blood. Who?"

"Doesn't matter. Right now y'all are comin' back to the house with me."

She stood there with her mouth hanging open, seeing his eyes all bloodshot, having no idea what hell he'd been through. Unsure of whether he was truly angry or if it was a mask for the fear he'd felt, she followed quietly, as did Tyreese and Andrea.

They were almost there when Tyreese broke the silence. "You know, these two were afraid of what'd happened to you."

Daryl snapped around, giving him the snake-eyed look that told everyone in the group that they were pushing it. Carol prayed Tyreese would shut up.

"Yeah, you in particular. You should be grateful we came lookin' for your ass."

He took two steps toward Tyreese and Carol moved in between them. "We don't need to be fighting now. Daryl, if you're angry with me fine. We'll deal with that later. Let's just get back."

"We'll deal with nothin'." He spat out. "And you." He pointed to Tyreese. "You'd best keep your mouth shut."

Herschel was sitting on the steps when they all came through the yard. "Oh thank God." He said, greeting them. Daryl passed by, stalking around the side of the house and Carol decided to let him go. She and Andrea hugged Herschel and went inside to see what was going on.

Maggie and Beth were weeping in the kitchen with Glenn consoling them both. Carol sat at the table in utter shock once they gave her the news.

"The worst part of it is," Maggie said, stifling a sob, "we waited all this time wondering if they were okay and no one is saying anything. We don't even know what happened. Rick took Carl off upstairs, Michonne is hiding somewhere around here. Daryl told us she - was gone and - "

"And he took off out back." Carol finished, tearing up. "I can't believe it."

Andrea leaned on the counter, trying to maintain composure. Carol asked quickly. Feeling the need to know the place was secure. "Is everything okay around here? Have there been any walkers through?"

Maggie shook her head, "No. T-Dog is out back cleaning the game Daryl brought in earlier, Daddy is out front. We haven't heard a peep."

Carol stood and decided to nose around a bit see what the others might know. Her throat burned with the need to cry, for her good friend was gone along with the baby she'd carried, the baby they'd talked about, planned for.

Herschel didn't know anymore than Maggie and the others in the kitchen, but she found T-Dog out back at a picnic table tackling a job he didn't really like to begin with, tears running out of the corners of his eyes.

"Do you have any clue what happened?"

"When did you all get back?" He asked, surprised to see her.

"About fifteen minutes ago."

"I talked Michonne into telling me. The men who took them brought them to a man who governs this small town."

Carol knew what he was talking about. "We stood right on the outskirts of it around midnight, last night."

He went on to say that the Governor was not a person to tangle with and he wasn't sure what happened to Michonne but it didn't take much to put two and two together. Michonne didn't know what they did to Lori while they held her captive but Lori's baby had turned, scratching her from the inside. By the time she saw her, she'd been stabbed – or had done it herself. T-Dog could barely speak by the time he reached that point of the story. "She died in a small shack on the way back. They were stuck there for hours waiting it out."

Carol rubbed his back, sitting next to him in the opposite direction, hurting too. "Daryl came out here earlier. Did you see which way he went?" She asked rubbing the tears into her cheeks, ready to lose it.

He pointed to the small shed the four-wheeler had been parked in and pulled something out from under the seat of his pants. "He said to give this back to you. It's what you were lookin' for yesterday, right?"

Carol reached out, her hand shaking and took the journal from T-Dog. _He'd had it all along - for hours while they waited with Lori. _She tried to convince herself that he never opened it, but as she flipped through the pages, she saw faint, grimy, bloody finger prints marking the edges of some of the pages. Her heart and hopes for any normalcy with Daryl sank like a heavy stone in the middle of a pond.

Throwing it off to the side she turned around and helped T-Dog finish cleaning the game. If he knew how she felt, that explained a lot of his reaction when they'd met up earlier. Pushing the thought from her mind she focused on what needed to be done. Rick, Michonne and Daryl needed a hot meal and quickly.

The rabbits and squirrels were cooked, salted and gravy was prepared with the flour they found in the house. Maggie scrounged up canned carrots and potatoes in the basement. "I know it's horrible." She told the girls while they cooked and cried at the same time. "We still need to make sure everyone eats and gets through this. She would want us to keep them going." When she said that, she got crying all over again. Beth wrapped her arm around Carol's waist, burying her face in her shoulder. "Oh come here." She said, brushing off her hands on a towel and holding Beth for a little bit. "Come on. It's gonna be alright." Though she couldn't quite convince herself that it would be. She'd felt this way with Sophia, and things had gotten better for a spell. Which brought her focus back to Daryl. He needed to eat. When she looked up, her eyes bright with tears, she saw the door closing to the bathroom and a quick peek at his back before it was shut and locked. She continued cooking and planned on making sure everything was ready when he came out.

* * *

He finished showering, shaking because he hadn't eaten yet, or maybe because what'd happened had shaken him. It was tough to admit that even to himself. When he swung the bathroom door open, there she was, like he knew she'd be, tryin' to make sure he'd eat. If she'd just been at the house once he'd arrived things may have been different right now. He'd been so ready to see her then, but to hear she'd gone after him? Thinkin' that he coulda lost her too. It was too much combined with the fact that he'd read her journal and she would know he did. Still she was there, with a plate of hot food, which he took and walked away without a word, heading back out to where he came from, as cold as it was getting outside.

When he got to the shed, he was just about to close the doors when he saw her thin frame strutting across the yard to him.

"Daryl wait."

He couldn't bring himself to close the doors as much as he wanted to. "What? What do you want?" He asked wearily.

She came inside and closed the doors, pulling his shirt around her and tugging on the scarf around her neck. "I'm sorry for whatever I did."

He could see she was trying hard not to cry, and for that he was grateful. He sat down in the fold up chair he'd huddled in earlier and wrapped an old blanket around himself, getting ready to eat.

She found another chair hanging up on the wall and brought it down, setting it up in front of him. He glared through his wet hair that swept across his forehead as he shoveled the food in his mouth.

"Go on, just eat; we can talk in a minute." She assured him.

He just gave her a grunt, glad for the chance to collect his thoughts. What was he angry about exactly? Mostly that she'd gone as far to come after them when she wasn't one of the group's strong ones. She'd only begun to learn to defend herself. He started talking before he finished eating. "Don't take off again like that. I expected to find you here."

She stood up, instantly defensive. "Here where I belong, right? Is that what you mean? Daryl, I watched those men take you away. I wasn't gonna stand by and do nothing. Just like I wasn't gonna stand by the day Michonne and I came lookin' for you here. I'm done just standing around waiting for people I love to come back to me. If you have anyone to blame it's yourself for teachin' me not to." By the time she finished she was almost yelling and went to leave, walking right into the chair, knocking it over.

Quickly he tossed his almost empty plate on the nearest shelf, stood and made a grab for her wrist, her small hand practically slipping through his. His grip tightened and she spun around almost bumping into his chest. "Carol honey, if you're tryin' to tell me somethin' just say it." He had all the skill of a master hunter, all the wit of Harvard educated lawyer, but matters of the heart were completely lost on him.

Her eyes searched his, like she was fighting it, unsure of whether to say it again or not. "I just did. Besides, you already knew, didn't you?" She pulled her journal out from under her arm and put it in his face.

He plucked it from her hands and felt her trying to pull away. One tug and he brought her back to him. _Why waste words?_ He thought, adding the journal to the shelf. _Doing. _That made sense to him. So he rammed his lips into hers, roughly, not giving her the chance to say anything more, not saying anything himself. She pulled back but only to take a breath before pushing back into him. He wound her scarf in his hands, bringing her closer while she hitched her leg up on the folding chair behind him to bring her pelvis close to his. Grinding against her, she moaned against his mouth.

She unhooked her jeans, kicked off one of her boots and pulled them down to the cement floor. He wrapped the blanket around them both, lifting her onto the nearby workbench, making sure nothing would poke her. She gave him one hungry look before he unbuttoned his pants and eased into her. He watched her the entire time, the way she licked her lips, her blue eyes, red from cryin' the whole day or maybe longer, the freckles across her nose. He could feel her fingernails digging into his shoulders as he pushed into her harder and leaned in, running his tongue over hers. Everything added up, built to a peak inside him and when he came he called her name into her ear over and over, knowing that he was damned lucky right there, right then and he should say the words, not just show her, though he was pretty sure she knew and understood. He was just too much of a pussy and he hated himself for it.

Not long after he pulled her into his lap on the chair he'd been sitting in and while he finished what was on his plate he told her what he could about what happened. He didn't want to scare her, but she needed to know the governor and his men were not people to mess with and at this point he wasn't sure what was going to happen. They wouldn't be able to hide out at the house for long. Michonne wanted to go after him and he couldn't say for sure what Rick's opinion on that would be.

"I just needed to get my head on straight, ya know?" He asked.

She nodded. "I meant what I said Daryl. I'm done sitting around playin' house. I'm gonna help however I can."

"I just don't wanna see you make a bad move like - " He didn't even wanna finish.

"I can't promise you – I just can't believe she's gone. I feel horrible." She put her hand to her mouth. "We just - " She pointed to the work bench. "And she's - "

He put a finger to his mouth. "Shh – s'all right. That was my fault. I don't know what I woulda done if I hadn't found that note tied to that mug. I almost lost it." He felt the corners of lips turn up, giving her a squeeze. "Come on, we need to find a room to sleep in and I need to touch base with Rick."

He watched her walk in front of him wondering what was gonna happen within the next few weeks, but found he couldn't even think that far ahead not as long as the governor was out there living, breathing and committing atrocities. There wasn't anything he'd like more than to come face to face with that mother fucker and watch him burn.


	28. Tears For A Tear

**Hi! Sorry it took a few days to get back into the swing of things for me to update, but I'm happy with the result and I hope you will be too. I was just proofing this and noticed how the chapter began with Carol's tears and ends with - well you'll see - thus the title. :) Please enjoy and review. Love hearing from all of you and I appreciate you taking the time to check it out. Kat**

Carol woke in the darkness with Daryl's arm dangling over her shoulder, fingers splayed, and his thumb resting on her nose. As soon as she began moving he was awake, and accidentally ran his hand across her cheek, feeling the tears. They both sat up.

She drew the covers up around her in the chilly room and scooted closer to him feeling his arms slide around her and his breath on her shoulder. "Y'all right?"

"No." She shook her head and brushed the tears away. "I was dreamin' about Sophia. It just seems like people from our little group just keep getting added to - "

He squeezed her tight. "Don't think about it like that. I was pissed when we showed up and you were gone, but once I calmed down T-Dog told me what you did."

"You already knew I went lookin' for you." She said, uncomfortable with any kind of compliment at the moment.

"Wasn't talkin' 'bout that." He said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before planting a kiss on her shoulder. His lips felt warm and made certain places on her body tingle, bringing her back to where they were, making her thankful again for whatever reason they'd found their way back to each other safely. "He said you kept them going, kinda took charge of things." He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. "Made sure they all got here safe and organized who would do what before you left. It's 'cause of you that Sophia doesn't have more company."

She let out a huff. That was probably the most Daryl had ever said out loud to her at one time. He was the only person in the group aside from Andrea who dared say Sophia's name.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothin'." She didn't know how to respond. "My first thought was to take one of the cars from the convoy and go after you all when I saw them draggin' you away, but T-Dog," She paused to let out a small laugh. "He wouldn't let me."

"Remind me to thank him."

Carol nodded wiping more tears. She could hear murmurs from Maggie and Glenn in the next room over. "I know I'm not strong Daryl. I'm just so tired of not being able to help."

She felt him tap her nose and sought his lips with her hands. He gave her a quick kiss and stood. "Stop worryin'. You do enough. I'm gonna go check on Rick. Try and sleep." But sleep wouldn't come until he made it back to their bed.

* * *

Rick wanted to call an early meeting, at breakfast on what the plan of action would be. He sat in quiet defiance on the stoop asking Daryl if Carl was still asleep, but not much more. It was like toyin' with a rubix cube with him right now, tryin' to figure out what to say to get the colors to line up correctly.

He passed Andrea on his way back through the door, still a bit leery since their last exchange. "Christ isn't anyone asleep around here?"

"Look, I'm sorry for the other night." She gestured out to where Rick was sitting, his hands folded under his chin staring straight ahead. "I'm trying."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, tryin' to remain indifferent, but couldn't. "Thanks for goin' with them yesterday." He was grateful to her for that.

Andrea laid a hand on his shoulder, and continued out the door. "No problem." She called back.

Michonne was the other one he checked on, though T-Dog was sitting vigil on the couch arm when he came back through, watching Michonne's fitful sleep.

"We can't just walk away and let that sick bastard keep on doin' the shit he's doin'." Daryl said.

T-Dog gave a quick nod. "We're gonna have the fight of our lives on our hands. But then again when don't we?"

"Seems it. Hey thanks for keepin' Carol from doin' anything stupid the other night."

"I really don't think she would've, but no problem. She's crazy in love with you man."

Daryl looked down shuffling his feet, wishin' he'd kept it brief. "Yeah so I've heard." He had no idea why though.

T-Dog grinned and stood up. "I need to go relieve Herschel. You want me to wake you when Rick's shift is done?"

"Yeah, why don'tcha do that? You know where to find me."

* * *

Hours later Carol was up before the rest of them trying to find something to cook that felt more like a breakfast than just a meal. They needed to regroup, figure out what their immediate plan was gonna be. She didn't like the idea of them going to war with this governor person. He sounded like an unstoppable force. They had Carl and Beth to think about and the fact that his army outnumbered them by a lot – she had yet to hear talk of numbers, though Daryl had said the dead from Cell Block Ten had put quite a dent in it.

She heard Daryl come through the front door, familiar with the sound of his footsteps, the way his heels hit the floor with a thud and then the resounding click, knowing his arms were swinging at his sides. That sexy strut of his would be the death of her.

In truth it was selfish but she didn't want them to tackle a fight with the governor for fear of losing him, mostly. It was bad enough to have to keep on watch for walkers. Obviously other groups could be a threat, they'd always known that. But why not leave? Find someplace far away to settle. She struggled with that idea though. There was a part of her that wanted revenge for Lori's death, to avenge what happened to Michonne, to keep it from happening to anyone else.

As her thoughts swarmed around in her head, she was taken aback when he wrapped his arms around her, leaning into her ear, taking the lobe in his mouth and sucking on it. She shivered in his arms, trying not to giggle out loud.

"Come on outside. Gotta show you somethin'." He grabbed her hand and led her past a sleep-groggy Maggie coming down the stairs. In the front yard lay a yearling boar he'd killed.

"Daryl, wow!" She exclaimed, putting her hands to her mouth. "This could feed us for a good week or two."

Glenn sat on the steps smiling for the first time in twenty-four hours.

Carol reached down and grabbed the pig by the hind legs. Bristly hairs poked out from its skin tickling her fingers.

"What are ya doin'? I didn't expect you to help drag it. Must weigh upwards of two-fifty." Daryl griped.

"I'm fine. Let's get it out back. Everyone else is just waking up."

It took some work and a few dirty looks from Daryl, but she wiped her hands on the short apron she was wearing when they were done.

Daryl leaned in and wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead. "Always surprisin' me."

"My parent's owned a farm." She said as he started to walk away.

He turned around, squinting. "Ya never told me that."

Carol shrugged. "I didn't really - wanna think about it." It was true. After she'd married Ed, she hardly ever visited her parents. It'd be too easy for them to see through her façade. Once the walkers came through, she'd tried calling before the phone lines died and she'd talked to her mother one last time before the fever took her. Her father had passed away a couple of years prior and it was a neighbor that had wandered onto the farm and had bit her mother. Carol's eyes dropped to the hog they'd placed near the large picnic table. She remembered butchering hogs with her father years ago. Living on the farm had been a simple and sweet way of living, but it'd left her naïve and sheltered. It'd been once she'd gone off to college that she begun making all the wrong decisions.

"Hey." Daryl said, waving a hand in front of her face. "It's nothin' you gotta go into."

She nodded, her eyes drawn down to the wild pig. "I just miss - the simplicity, ya know?"

Daryl reached to put his arms around her but when they saw Rick come around the corner, he pulled away quickly.

Rick tipped his head toward the kill. "Nice." He shifted his weight and eyed Carol.

"I'll go see about getting breakfast started." She knew he wanted to talk to Daryl, who flashed her a brief look of appreciation as she left.

She threw together a quick breakfast of biscuits using the powdered milk they'd brought from the prison, powdered eggs and venison gravy to top things off. Portioning was tough, knowing everyone would be hungry, so she splurged – as much as she dared, hoping it would help lift everyone's morale.

The meeting got off to a start while everyone's mouths were full. Rick was ready to talk, not ready to fill his stomach, which was frustrating with all the trouble she'd gone to. They had Beth and Carl eating their breakfast upstairs.

Michonne sat next to Rick. Her lip was swollen and split, both her eyes blackened and one so puffy she could barely open it. Her hood hung on her back, revealing raven locks, normally tamed and kept after. Instead it frizzed and stuck out in all directions. She kept fidgeting, and that was when Carol noticed how clawed and raked over her fingers were.

"Michonne put up a hell of a fight the other night. And if you all had seen Lori - " He stopped when his voice started cracking, glancing up at Daryl, who stood near the doorway.

Daryl crossed his arms and avoided eye contact with the rest of the group. She knew he didn't want to talk about it. He hadn't since he got back. "Rick's tryin' to say it was bad. You all saw me when I got back. That was Lori's blood."

"They know who we are." Michonne told them.

Rick sighed. "He and his men tortured and raped my wife. It didn't take long between her and Michonne to get the information they wanted."

"They don't know where we are now." Daryl said. "But they'll come lookin' for us."

"Why can't we just go? Leave this place? Head west to get around them and then north." Maggie suggested.

"Because I don't want to run." Michonne told her. "I am going to skin that bastard alive."

Everyone got quiet. Carol paced behind Herschel, Maggie and Glenn and finally broke the silence. "We can't just go at them head on. We would have to send scouts to get an idea of what's going on and what his plans are for the prison. Take him by surprise." She spoke as if she were a little unsure of herself but they all began nodding.

Daryl's lip quirked. "She's right. We gotta know more before we make any kind of move."

Tyreese shifted in his chair. Taking a napkin and wiping his mouth, he stood up towering over the group. "When we were on the outside of the development the other night, I saw some of my men in there from the prison, some that those two assholes had traded off. If we can take that bastard and his cronies down, his hold on most of them would mean nothing."

Rick stood on the other side of the table, facing Tyreese. "Then that's what we'll do. Anyone who doesn't want to be party to this say so now."

Andrea cleared her throat. "I'm in." She gave Rick a hard stare.

"Maggie?" Carol asked. "T-Dog? Glenn? Herschel? For Lori?"

They all agreed, Maggie on the condition that Beth be excluded, which was a given. The girl was barely sixteen. She was pretty good throwin' knives, but completely not ready for a battle. Carol wasn't sure she was herself, but it looked like they had no choice if they wanted to rid the world of something worse than the walkers.

* * *

Later that day Daryl helped her butcher the hog. "Reminds me of when I used to help my daddy. He always had a certain method to it."

"I see you still know your stuff." Daryl commented as they scalded him in a huge wash tub over the fire they'd built in the back yard. They felt it'd be safer to section it off after scalding it rather than roasting it right there over an open fire, drawing everything living and dead to their hide out.

It was a messy job, but by the time they were done, they put the fire out and Andrea and Maggie had carried the pieces off to the one freezer they kept running in the basement.

Daryl gave her once over. She was sweaty and messy, but never looked more satisfied and pleased with herself. "I meant what I said this mornin'. You keep surprisin' me."

"Why?" She asked.

He shrugged and wiped his nose off with his sleeve, shifting uncomfortably. "I thought you'd go against what Rick wants to do."

"I don't wanna see any more of us get hurt. But we can't just sit back and wait for him to find us, or come after us or catch us. And I don't want to see him get away with what he did Daryl."

He didn't care who was watchin'. He put his arms around her, gut mess and all and held her for a minute. "Lori wasn't the easiest person to get along with, but I wouldn't wish what she went through on anyone." He said against her ear.

Later that night she laid facing him in the dark, holding his hand, which he took and ran across his lips. "Plans are gonna be made and set in motion tomorrow. I just wanna know one thing." He murmured quietly.

"What?" She asked.

"Will you follow along with what's laid out for you to do? No strayin'?"

She brought his palm to her cheek and let him feel her shake her head yes. "I promise Daryl."

"Promise me if anythin' happens to me that you'll keep goin'."

She pulled his hand away but he grabbed onto hers, tensing up. "Shh, sh. You already read my - "

"I need to hear it." He whispered, feeling guilty that he was so backward with words and here he was demanding that very same thing from her.

"You know I will. I promise. Now I want the same from you, although you're a Dixon. I can't see you opting out, not for anything."

"I don't wanna live without you here, but I'd probably be too much of a pussy to do myself in." He whispered back. Her hand went to his chest as they both let out quiet laughs, settling in under the covers. "After watchin' Rick and Lori the other night, I just - " He stopped, unsure of where he was goin' with what he wanted to say.

"You just what?"

"I guess I just feel lucky." He told her cupping her shoulder, running his hand down her arm.

She didn't push for more; she simply found his lips with hers and kissed him. He liked that more than fumbling with words. He grasped her hip and it took little effort to pull her on top of him. She ran her fingers over his chest and it still gave him chills deep inside that someone would touch him like this. It probably always would strike him as odd that he'd become so important to someone in a good way when he was always needed in a bad way before.

Her fingers eased his belt buckle loose and with little effort she took control, sliding him inside her. He only got about three strokes in when the words slipped out of her mouth. "I love you Daryl."

She said it so quietly that he almost thought he was hearin' things, but then he felt her hesitation, like she thought maybe she'd said somethin' wrong or he'd stop their whole 'bout of fuckin' because of it. Instead, he came up off the mattress, gently running his fingers through her hair bringing his lips to hers. He wanted so badly to answer her to respond, but the words wouldn't come.

"It's okay." She whispered against his mouth, reassuring him. "You knew I did." He could feel her smiling when she kissed his cheek.

He lowered his head to her bare breasts, nodding. Being that close to those perfect freckled peaks, he took one in his mouth, licking it and she moaned, pushing him further inside of him, making him grow harder, making him want her more than he thought possible. In one swift motion he rolled her under him and began a rhythm, causing the bed to squeak, just a little.

"Shh." He whispered as she began giggling. "Maggie and Glenn'll hear ya."

"And we've never heard them?" She giggled some more. "They'll hear this damned bed before they hear me."

He lost and then picked up the same rhythm once again. She felt smooth, hot and slick. As much as he tried he couldn't hold back much longer. Second go-arounds were always longer if they had the chance to do it twice in one night. There wouldn't be that chance tonight. The men were the only ones allowed to take watch now with the governor being their main threat, and his shift was toward dawn.

The more he had nights like this with her, and the more exposure he had to people who truly cared for him – especially her, the more he felt less like who he used to be and more like who he'd always wanted to be. He would always be a realist and a stubborn bastard. He'd never learn to completely control his temper and he would probably always hold onto a lot of the tough lessons he'd learned being raised a Dixon, but here he mattered. He felt accepted and he'd do anything and everything he could to protect that and her.

Once they were finished she settled in, her back to him and went to sleep, he made sure her breathing was even and steady against his chest, which burned with a mixture of anxiety, pride and another emotion that was threatening to spill over. He could barely make out her beautiful profile in the darkness. A single tear crept from the corner of his eye as he watched her. "I love you Carol." He whispered, his head falling back on his pillow and before he knew it, he fell asleep.


	29. Losing Your Memory

**Hi! Enjoy and please review! I love hearing from you all and it keeps me going. I feel like I'm saying, "I****'ll work for tips" hahahaha! Lots of cool interaction in this. Thank you for those who have stuck with this story. Cheers, Kat**

She had no idea why she was in such a good mood. Daryl would be leaving with Tyreese and Glenn to explore the area surrounding the prison. It was a day trip, which they wanted to try first before making the longer journey back to the development if it became pertinent. The less they were out in the open traveling; the less chance they'd be caught.

She smiled to herself as she made up meal packs for the men.

"Why are you so chipper?" Maggie asked, batting her long eye lashes at Carol as she brought the cold packs up from the single freezer they were using in the basement.

Carol could've sworn she saw amusement in Maggie's expression. They had heard her and Daryl last night. "Just a nice dream I had, I 'spose." She did dream after she and Daryl had fallen asleep and for some reason she thought she heard him admit that he loved her. She took a deep breath, bringing herself back to reality. It'd been a dream she decided. There was no way he was ready to tell her something like that. She couldn't believe she had said the words herself last night.

"Wish my dreams had been as pleasant." Maggie told her pursing her lips.

Carol held the knapsacks open one at a time so she could slip a cold pack into each one. Hoping her cheeks weren't red, she cleared her throat. "I am nervous for them too, but this needs to be done. They'll be back to us by dark."

A frustrated sigh escaped her. Maggie leaned back onto the counter, planting a hand on each side of it. Carol looked down to see the girl's knuckles turning white. "Do you really think we need to do this? We're bound to lose someone. I mean who's next?" Her voice came out like a quiet hiss, like she didn't want anyone nearby to hear her.

"Even if we ran now, there's always a chance of losing someone. There are all kinds of threats out there. We need to eliminate this one."

Maggie shook her head, desperation clouded her eyes. "You're the last person I'd expect to go along with somethin' like this." She stalked away before Carol could get another word in, past Daryl who stood in the kitchen doorway.

Carol pulled his flannel shirt around herself tighter, synching it at the waist before meeting him in the doorway with the three knapsacks. "Lunch and dinner. Try to make it last." She told him, her words bland sounding.

"What was that all about?" He wanted to know.

"Nothin I can't handle." She told him, placing a hand on his vest. "Now go, so you can get back to me before bedtime."

"She's just jealous 'cause you got some last night and she didn't."

"Maybe we shouldn't have." Carol sighed, sitting down at the table to re-tie her boot.

Daryl crossed the small portion of the room and stood to where the toes of his boots were touching hers, and then knelt down. "You don't mean that." A slight smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. He gave her a quick pat on her knee and stood up.

They all gathered at the door watching them leave while Rick rattled off specific instructions. Maggie leaned on the door sill; arms crossed sending glares Carol's way. If she had to be angry with someone it wasn't anything Carol couldn't deal with. She had a good heart and would come around before the day was out, Carol was certain. She was just as worried about them leaving as Maggie but more anxious to get the whole kit and caboodle done and over with. He took off with the men acknowledging her with a nod. She pressed her lips into a thin line and gave a small wave back.

Regardless of being worried, there was a sense of peace between them. When she originally thought him reading her journal would push him away, it had only seemed to help them. And what she'd written had said a lot for her, rather than having a big lengthy discussion with him, which he wasn't keen on anyhow. She watched until she saw his broad shoulders and crossbow disappeared into the beautiful scenery of the woods then sighed and turned to go back indoors where it was only a tad bit warmer. She found Rick blocking her way. He looked understandably dreadful. Stress marked his features, dark circles pooled under his eyes. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"No." He told her, not looking her in the eyes, his jaw set tight.

"Well you need to. Think of it this way – if you keep your strength up, the better off you'll be to see this through."

When he stood his ground stubbornly, Andrea came up behind him, laying a hand on his elbow. "Come on. There's plenty to eat."

He seemed to snap out of it, but barely. "I'm having the same problem with Carl in the kitchen." Andrea told Carol as they followed him down the hallway. Herschel was sitting with the boy at the table who was pushing his spoon around in a bowl of beans and franks.

"Baked beans have always made my stomach queezy." Carol said. "Would you like something different?"

The boy shot her a look that could've scared Christ off the cross. "I'm not hungry." He glanced up at the adults in the room surrounding him, slammed his spoon on the table and marched out of the room.

Rick sat down rubbing his face with his hands blowing his breath out between his fingers. Andrea sat down kitty-corner from him.

She heard Carl's footsteps upstairs stomping into the bedroom that he and Rick were occupying. Without saying anything, she slipped out of the kitchen. Andrea and Herschel were better with words these days when it came to Rick. He was suffering something terrible inside and needed more than what she felt capable of offering. He was their leader and it was difficult for her to approach him without feeling like she was being condescending. Herschel being his elder and Andrea, who always carried that air of intelligence and confidence, could handle it.

She passed by the bedroom where Carl sat on his bed, head propped up with his two little fists. In her and Daryl's room, she'd already made the bed and opened the blinds. Looking through the thick glass, she saw T-Dog below on watch. He was tossing a baseball up in the air and catching it, reminding her of why she came up there; to bring some normalcy to the group, even if it was temporary. She'd found it the other day. She reached in, grabbing the yellow CD player by the handle and brought out a handful of CD's. It wouldn't take up much of the generator's energy to power, she figured and maybe it would draw Carl in. Unfortunately the only CD's the former teenage occupant of the house owned were a few heavy metal discs and a Pitbull album. It brought her back to a time not too long ago in Atlanta and that same CD that Sophia had snuck home from her friend's house. Carol had found it before her daddy did, thank God. But now that she held it in her hand, she wondered what had drawn Sophia to it. She'd wanted to be a good mother to her, so of course she'd made her take it back due to the big black and white "parental advisory" sticker that she was staring at right now.

The outlet was near the bed that she and Daryl had shared the night before and her cheeks flamed red when she remembered last night and the handful of times they'd been together before that. She reached down into her handbag and pulled out her journal and a pencil. She set the CD player on the night stand and pulled the disc out, seeing that it was a disc that had been burned from the kid's computer, not the one that was supposed to be in the case. She hoped it was something worth listening to. It'd been too long since she'd heard any music. Sliding it in the player, she made sure the volume was low and pressed play.

It turned out to be dance music mostly, something different than any of the other music she'd found. She began writing, making headway, sorting out her feelings when a little head peeked around the doorway, followed by Beth's above his.

"You found music?" She marveled.

Carol glanced up, smiling. "I did. Do you two want to come in?" She offered, patting big double bed.

"Can we?" Beth asked.

"Sure, come on." Carol told them, setting the journal down on the night stand.

"Where did you get that?" Carl asked, cautiously.

"Daryl got it for me on one of the runs. I'm lucky to have it. It helps to write down how you feel sometimes. Maybe we can look around for some more paper or you could borrow some of mine from the journal. I have plenty of pencils."

Carl only nodded and he still appeared stoic.

"The music's nice." Beth said, resting her hands on her knees.

It was hard not to at least tap their fingers to the beat, and before she knew it the bed began to wiggle. Beth was bouncing lightly on the edge, a shy smile spreading across her face.

Carl eyed Carol, and she wondered what she could do to try and reach out to the boy but he spoke first. "I never got to say I'm sorry for what I said at the farm."

Carol waited, remembering that day she'd stood up to Lori, tired of everyone patronizing her. Maybe that was how Carl felt - like they were all tip-toeing around him, perhaps Rick too. And they were. She could relate to that. "It's over and done with. We were all hurting and still are. Especially you right now. I can't say it'll go away easy. It might never go away but you are a strong boy. You've been through a lot." She paused worried she was saying too much and maybe she would force him out of the room, but he held her gaze. "We're gonna take care of the threat, make sure he doesn't hurt anymore people." She figured he'd probably known some of what was going on already. The boy was sneaky, but if she were in his shoes she wouldn't want to be excluded or sheltered from it either, even though from an adult standpoint it was the right thing to do.

Carl's eyes watered. "I want the baby and my mom to be with Sophia and everyone else we've lost. I want to believe there's a heaven." He cried. She reached out and he crawled onto her lap.

Beth leaned over and turned the power button off on the CD player. "There is Carl. They're all there together. I believe my mom is there too."

She pulled Beth next to her. "You know before Sophia and I left Atlanta, I called my own mother. I used to live on a farm, much like the one you lived on Beth." She looked across the room, remembering back to the huge farm house, the silo, the cornfields, the smell of autumn and helping daddy with the harvest. Her eyes watered up instantly. "My daddy died a few years ago, so it was just my mother left there. The neighbors leased the farm from her and she stayed in the house that I grew up in."

"Do you think she made it?" Carl asked doubt lacing his voice.

"No. That last phone call I made in Atlanta, she'd been bit while walking the property outside. She managed to lock herself in the house and was in bed sick with the fever when I last spoke to her." It was hard choking back the sob in her throat but she had reason for telling the kids her story. She needed to stay strong and show them that they could cope. "She's with my Sophia. And you know?" She asked looking between the two of them. "They would want us to survive, to go on and try to find some spark of happiness."

"Is that what you're doing?" Beth asked. "Is that why you were playing the music?"

Carol nodded. "That's why I had the music playing. That's why I'm glad you two are in here talking with me. We need each other, and I'm here for you two. Okay?"

Beth nodded, brushing away her tears. Carl scrubbed at his freckled cheeks, seemingly embarrassed, but a tiny smile edged its way through his pain.

Carol cupped his chin. "There ya go." You want me to put it back on?"

Both kids said yes and by the time Andrea, Rick and Herschel peeked through the doorway, Beth and Carl were bouncing on the bed and Carol was shaking her hips to the beat of an unfamiliar song that both kids seemed to recognize. She stopped when she noticed them there, blushing and moved to press the power button, but Rick stopped her.

"Don't, don't turn it off."

She moved toward the door hoping he wouldn't be upset. "I'm sorry. I know at a time like this we shouldn't be - " She stopped herself from apologizing. That was something she would've done in the past – made an excuse out of fear of what someone might think. "He's doing okay right now. It's helping."

"You're right." Rick said. "How did you get him to - " His eyes moved past her to his son. "He's smiling." Rick's voice cracked as he spoke. Herschel watched Beth with twinkling eyes.

"The music drew the kids in here and we just talked, is all." She told him stepping back and watched from the doorway with them.

"We need more of this sort of thing once this is finished." Rick told her.

Carol nodded in agreement. "We'll finish it, and we'll find a safe place, all of us together."

* * *

Daryl stepped through the brush near the prison, dried, dead briars scratching through his cargos. "Fuck." He whispered, taking his eyes off the fence for just a second.

Tyreese held his hand out motioning for him to keep back. "You don't want to go any further. I don't know how high tech this place is but if they got security cameras, it'd be good to stay out of view."

Glenn clenched his rifle to his chest waiting. They were watching trucks loaded up with supplies, mostly food, blankets and furniture. Things they were still bringing in. Daryl was glad that they had taken most of the ammo and weapons from the prison with them. Less these bastards would have to use against them and the more they had to their own advantage.

"We need a more accurate head count." Glenn said.

Daryl had a seat on a log and adjusted the strap of his binoculars around his neck, careful not to tangle them up in his crossbow. "Guess we sit here all day countin' then."

It was tedious and boring as fuck but in the end they counted forty-two men. And that didn't count the women and children they could hear inside the prison walls. They'd traveled an hour at least from the Greene Farm, and yet Daryl still wondered whether any of the men were from Randall's group. There'd been more than forty two before the walkers in Cell Block Ten had chomped some of them bastards up, so he figured it was possible. Tyreese recognized at least fifteen of them, some prisoners, and two were deputies, which accounted for almost all the men that Bud and Jeff had taken from the prison. He reached in the knapsack that Carol had packed and brought out some crackers. The cannibals seemed to have and endless supply of them, once they'd gone through the basement and found more in a huge storage cupboard. The tuna and rice combo was in a Tupperware container and he grabbed that to dip his crackers in when he saw the string tied around a little piece of notebook paper. Glenn sat on one side of him and Tyreese on the other. He quickly cupped the note in his hand and excused himself. "I gotta take a leak. Be right back."

"Don't go far." Tyreese whispered.

"Christ I'll just go behind this tree." Daryl answered taking two steps behind the huge oak off to the left. He slipped the string off the paper and tucked that in his pocket. Making sure the immediate area was secure, he unrolled it, his heart thudding – the reaction still slightly annoyed him. That quickly dissipated when he read her words. _"Be safe Daryl. I love you."_ Plain and simple, like her except that's not how she was. She was complicated and stubborn like him, and eggin' to get her way and hear him say it back. He knew he loved her and he knew he needed to tell her soon. In fact he wasn't sure how long he could hold it in.

By nightfall they were walkin' through the front yard. Rick was out front and once he got close he could hear a very faint thud of music inside. Rick greeted them with an actual smile – the first he'd seen in days.

"What the hell's goin' on?" Daryl asked, walking ahead of the other two. "Y'all lost your minds?"

Rick shook his head. "No. I think that woman of yours helped us find them. Go on inside and see for yourself."

Daryl had no idea what the fuck they were doing. He felt like he walked into a damned party. Rounding the corner into the kitchen he found Carl at the kitchen table with paper and a pencil, Beth at the sink scrubbing pots and pans, bouncing to the beat of music streaming out of a yellow CD player on the counter. Carol was smiling bright, eyes sparkling, moving her hips back and forth. She lifted a handful of soapy bubbles out of the dish water and gave them a quick blow, laughing with Maggie who caught them as they flew in front of Beth's face.

"They're back!" Carl said over the music, his spirits seemed to have lifted.

All three turned around at once, Maggie exiting the room first, presumably to find Glenn, giving him a quick "Hey Daryl." on her way through. Carol wiped her hands on a nearby dish rag as Beth turned down the music.

"Hey you." She said from across the room, still smiling, although he wasn't sure why. He knew he was staring at her like she had two heads.

He set his crossbow near the doorway and crossed the room to the sink. "You all done with this dish water?"

She gave him a nod, leaning back on the counter facing the opposite direction as he was. Her shoulder brushed his as he scrubbed his hands.

"Rick still plannin' on holding a meetin' tonight before we all turn in?"

"As far as I know. I'm anxious to hear what you all found out." She told him.

"I'm anxious to know just what the hell I came back to." He knew he sounded a tad disgruntled, but this wasn't the same group of people he left this morning.

Her smile disappeared. She sighed and left him at sink. When he dried his hands he expected that she'd be gone, but she was at the table next to Carl looking at something he'd drawn or written. Ignoring Beth's pleading look, he walked out of the kitchen to find Rick but ran into Andrea first.

"Oh, hey." She said stopping as she closed the front door.

"Ya mind tellin' me why everyone's so cheery?" He griped.

"What, you feel like you missed out on something?" She asked smiling an aggravating smile.

He shifted his weight, glaring at her.

"Look, you were right that last night at the prison. I had a lot of pent up resentment. Nothing really happened here today. Carol just got the kids to open up and letting it out seemed to do them some good. I think seeing Carl and Beth happier helped Rick, Herschel and even Maggie. We needed this boost. Don't be a Debbie downer just 'cause you weren't around."

"A wha – nevermind." He said with a wave of his hand. "I'm fine."

"Then why don't you go say hi to Carol?" She asked with a smirk.

"I was just in there." His feathers were ruffled, he could hear it in his own voice.

"Well the way you came stalkin' out down the hallway it didn't go all too well. Don't spoil the mood. We need to build the group's morale back up. We've taken some tough blows in the past seventy-two hours."

"How's Michonne?"

Andrea looked off to the side, into the living room uncomfortably. "She was in there resting most of the day, but right now she's out back with T-Dog on watch. It's where I just came from."

"Hmm." He grunted, moving past her to get out the door. "I'll be back in, in just a bit." When he shut the door, he saw her walk toward the kitchen shaking her head.

Rick was sitting on the steps whittling away on a branch, making more bolts for Daryl's crossbow. He leaned back on the cold iron railing glancing up at the night sky before Rick broke the silence.

"Lori wouldn't want me – or Carl wallowing in misery. Not that I won't feel like shit for a very long time, but I just hate – I hate seeing my boy have to go through so much pain. You don't know."

"No I don't know." Daryl interrupted. "I don't have a clue but I was a kid and had no one I could count on and I do know that at least he's got you. He's damn lucky he has you. You don't know what it's like not havin' anyone around for ya when you're that young."

"He smiled today. It was the first time since I came back here without his – and you should've seen him. I heard the music and I was pissed off and ready to lay into Carol but when we got upstairs he was smiling and I knew this was something he could get through – that we could get through together."

Daryl wasn't good at this. This was unfamiliar territory, yet it was becoming increasingly less awkward for him. He wanted to turn around, walk in the house and pretend he'd just gotten back. He wanted to see Carol at the sink with the girls again, smiling that smile of hers and walk over, pick her up, spin her around and kiss the shit out of her. But it was too late for that now.

He cleared his throat. "Meeting still on for later?"

"Yeah, why don't you go in and grab a bite to eat with Tyreese and Glenn. When you're all finished we can start."

He went in, shut the door and slowly started toward the kitchen but she came around the corner and met him halfway.

"I know it looked funny." She started but he held his finger to her lips.

"Sorry 'bout earlier. I got your note." His voice got low so no one nearby would hear.

Her cheeks flushed red.

"Didn't think I'd say anything about it did ya?"

She moved closer to him to where he pretty much had to put his arms around her. He heard her whisper, "No." with her forehead bent to his chest.

He ran his hand along the length of her arm, the thick yarn of the sweater she wore catching on his calluses. He picked her chin up with his thumb and pointer finger to make her look him in the eyes. She didn't hesitate to kiss him right there in the hallway, despite the fact that Beth and Carl were peeking around the corner, giggling. This was his do-over and damnit he was going to do it right this time. He pulled her closer to him, lifted her off the ground and twirled her around once.

"I'm glad I'm back." He said when he set her down.


	30. Strength In Numbers

**Howdy! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews this last round and I hope you stick it out with me until the end. I am thinking of finishing up Slow Fire Burn in another 5 chapters and that includes the epilogue which will be Chapter 35. That is if the story goes according to plan. You never know with this wacky brain of mine. Could be more, could be less. But never fear, I plan to try my hand at a few one shots - and another Chapter saga for our favorite couple. This Chapter has a surprise at the end. :) Enjoy and I hope to hear from you. Kat  
**

"_They say the best love is the one that makes you a better person, without changing you into someone other than yourself. I feel that I am now the person I was before I was married, the person I've always wanted to be – even better than before I let my life go down the tubes. I wasn't there for my parents and the few friends I had because I let myself be controlled and manipulated. I let someone else make all my choices for me. I gave up control. Never again. _

_ Tonight's meeting didn't go as planned. That's not to say that we – as a group didn't accomplish what we intended. But it's to say that I stood my ground and that didn't sit well with Daryl, not that I expected it to. The next excursion will take a few of us the other way, to the development. They want to make sure the count on how many men we're dealing with is accurate and we need confirmation that this governor person is at the prison. Once we get that confirmation we are going in, well sneaking in. We know that prison inside and out, and getting at him there will be easier. Someone has to stay behind with the kids and Herschel. I think Daryl and everyone else assumed I would, but Maggie volunteered. Maggie wants nothing to do with this fight. I do. She wants to stay with her dad and the kids, her sister has lost enough, she says. We kept the arguing to a minimum during the meeting, but when Rick gave the final say, that it was my choice, Daryl stormed away. I can't believe only an hour and a half ago, he kissed me and spun me around in the hallway. _

_ I thought he knew I wanted in on this. Maybe he figured I'd hang back or hoped I would and support the group's effort from the sidelines. Forget that. So here I shiver in this cold shed because I don't want to be around anyone right now. It was such a good day. I felt like I accomplished something, and now I'm just pissed off. He has no faith in me and that hurts. They all sense the tension and I don't want to deal with the stares. I wonder if he'll come out here looking for me. I originally came out here looking for him." _

She closed her journal when she heard the pounding on the door. Rolling her eyes, she stood up, setting her journal and the pencil on the shelf. "Daryl, go away."

The pounding grew louder and that's when she heard its haggard breathing and it started clawing, wanting in, wanting her. Her breath hitched in her throat as she neared the door and caught the scent of its decaying flesh. It was a walker, not one of the group, not Daryl. If someone had been on watch out back they would've seen or heard it coming, but they'd all but wrapped up the meeting and hadn't decided who would be on watch yet. She sighed pulling one of her knives out. _If ever a challenge like this were to come it would have to be now. Wouldn't it? _She thought.

If she opened the door a crack it would reach in and she needed a clear aim at its head. Instead she banged the door outward in hopes that the thing would stumble. That worked as planned and she was able to kick the thing down off its feet. It looked to be a man around her age, from what she could see and immediately he raked his nail along her pant leg, arching up to snarl and nip at whatever parts of her he could reach. She hopped onto his left arm, cracking the brittle bones inside and pierced him through the forehead as swiftly as she could, being extra careful to keep hold of the handle. The scar on her hand was still a bit tender even after all these weeks. It'd been a deep cut and the nerves in her thumb would never be the same. More moaning sounded from behind her though she was sure there weren't more than a few.

"Damnit why does it have to be so dark?" She muttered, readying the knife again. A huge shadowy figure lunged at her groaning and fumbling out from behind the shed. This one was huge. Her heart raced with fear but there was no time to think. She ran at it with all the strength she could muster, knife pointed at its face, which was as high as she could reach. She went for the eye, which reminded her of when she'd killed Bud, through this was easier compared to that. The walker's flesh was already softer and easier to pierce than a live human beings. Rancid, inky blood splattered across her cheek.

Before her gag reflex kicked in, there was a third, a woman who came at her from the left, faster than the other two, her arms straight out in front of her, bony fingers reaching, ready to scratch, dirty teeth ready to tear flesh. Carol tried making a dash to get behind her but the creature followed her with its lifeless eyes. She had to lunge at her quickly before the walker could make a grab and use the nails Carol could see in the light the sliver of the moon provided. She fell with the walker woman but her struggle quickly ended once she got the knife into her skull. Standing up, a bit unsteady, she listened for more. Her eyes were wide open, looking all around her as she tried to slow her racing heart, her breath coming out in white puffs. The woods remained silent. Finally feeling satisfied that she was alone, she stepped over the big walker, quickly retrieving her journal and pencil from the open shed.

It appeared that they had decided who would be on look out. A few of them were gathered in the doorway when she burst inside. "Better get someone on watch out back. We had three walkers come through. I didn't hear anymore."

Daryl was the first to step in front of her. "You okay?" He asked, grabbing a do-rag from his pocket getting ready to wipe her face off. The concern in his expression was hard to ignore but she was just so damned mad.

"I'm fine. It's taken care of." She pointed right at his chest. "And don't you ever again insinuate that I can't handle my shit." She pushed his hand away, avoiding the look of surprise in his expression and walked down the hallway to the bathroom, hearing a few of them go out the door. She locked herself in, sinking down onto the floor near the tub, shocked by her outburst. It was only because he cared for her, she knew that, but she was so sick and tired of people doing her thinking for her. She'd just killed three walkers single handedly.

Then it really hit her. She'd killed three - on her own. Pride, mixed with nausea, frustration and fear rushed through her. She could do this. And then she thought back to the shape Michonne came back in because of the governor and his men. If they went in and were captured she could wind up dead or worse. Finally she saw where he was coming from, and his fears were valid. It didn't change her mind, but it was good to be aware of the possibilities. She still wanted to be involved and not just as a babysitter.

"Carol, open the damned door." Daryl's voice came from the other side of the hardwood barrier.

She buried her head in her knees shaking.

"Come on, I wanna check you out, make sure you aren't scratched."

"I'm okay Daryl. Go away." She told him wearily.

"I'll sit here 'till you come out of there and let me look ya over you stubborn goose." His voice sounded grated and mean, but there was concern there too.

Slowly she stood, her muscles starting to ache and unlocked the door.

He opened it before she took her hand off the knob and shoved himself through. "I thought you were claustrophobic."

"I forgot I was." She answered, lifting her arms as he took off her sweater and undershirt, shivering as he looked over her hands, arms, had her turn around, checking her sides and her back.

"How 'bout your legs?" He asked softly.

"Daryl I am fine." She said trying to hold back the frustration in her voice. But she pulled her pants off anyhow.

"Let's get you in the shower real quick." He suggested after checking her legs. "Wash this shit offa ya. What the hell were you doin' out there anyhow?"

She shook her head. "Just let me hop in the shower. I can clean up on my own."

"Now who's pushin' who away?" He grumbled.

"I just need some space."

* * *

Daryl knew all about needin' space. He spared one look in her direction as the shower steam began wafting over the curtain and left. Rick met him in the hallway. "Anymore walkers come through?" He asked him.

"No, but you need to see what she did. Come on." Rick said.

Outside lined up and stinking worse than a wet turd laying out to dry in the sun, laid the bodies of the three walkers Carol had taken down. One must've topped three hundred pounds. "What the hell? How?" Daryl mused. "She doesn't even have a scratch on her. I just checked." He said, looking around at the others who joined them. Andrea smirked. T-Dog looked equally as amazed.

Michonne stood behind the group, hood up. "She'll be more of an asset to us than someone who might be stronger, but who doesn't want in on the fight, and now I ain't so sure about her lack of strength."

"Looks like she's got plenty to me, or maybe it's just spirit." T-Dog said. "She did the same that night up at the camp. She and I took on four."

Daryl huffed, pacing in a circle. Scrubbing the back of his hand across his chin, he looked directly at Rick. "It's outta my hands. I can't tell her what ta do. But I'm warnin' ya, if anything happens to her, I'm getting' her out of there. She comes first."

He could see Rick's jaw twitching, but he had to know where he was comin' from. "That goes without saying, as long as it doesn't compromise the safety of the group." He said finally. Everyone around them visibly relaxed, they all knew Rick was in charge, and now he was starting to come around in the wake of Lori's death. Daryl wouldn't normally challenge him on much, especially right now, but this was Carol.

The oil lamp was lit and dimmed when he came into their bedroom an hour or so later. She was sleeping on her side dressed in the only other clothes she owned at this point, jeans, a tank top and his shirt. Half of the bed spread was pulled over her hip, but the rest of her was uncovered. He grasped the edge, easing it over her, making sure she stayed warm. Stubbornly she pulled her one arm out, placing it on top of the covers.

He sighed, grabbed a pillow from his side of the bed and lay on the floor.

Sooner than he expected she poked her head over the edge leaning on her arms. "Daryl." Her voice was softer than earlier, the anger gone.

"What?" He asked, leery of where them talkin' would lead.

"You don't have to sleep down there."

"Just givin' you your space. I'm fine. Just peachy."

"No you're not. It's cold. Come up in bed with me."

He'd been resting his hands behind his head, but he sat up looking her in the eyes, it took him a minute for him to form words. "When we go after that bastard? You're in. Ya happy?"

She leaned up on her elbow, making a face. After a minute she responded with, "I don't need your permission." She was trying to sound tough, but it wasn't working.

"You wouldn't _get_ my permission." He answered in a pissy tone. "But it's up to our fearless leader and he says you're in."

She shoved back off the edge of the bed and lay flat, quiet for awhile. It got so quiet that he thought she'd fallen asleep, so it surprised him when her hand came flying over the side of the bed grabbing him by the shirt collar.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He nearly yelled, but remembered Carl was asleep across the hall, Maggie and Glenn in the next room.

She used his collar as leverage and pulled herself down on top of him with a thud. "Kissin' you." She said planting a wet one on his lips. She smelled like cherry blossoms and he raked his tongue into her mouth. It was different, she was dominating the kiss. Once they caught their breath, he slid his hands under her shirt, pulling her hips down onto where he was already hard.

"Up on the bed." She stated simply, standing up, unbuttoning her shirt, taking the tank off and quickly rolling down her jeans. The knives and belt came off along with her hiking boots and she lay back on the bed, as he marveled the woman he'd come to love. No she wasn't a beauty queen, like she'd admitted that night they'd first kissed. And neither was he, he thought, running his hand over the raised scars under his shirt. She was too thin, but they all were these days, her hair just a whisper longer than his now, but there was much more to her than met the eye and to think if the fucking dead hadn't started roaming the Earth, he'd never have met her. Things never woulda changed for him. He wouldn't feel worthy of anything this good. Couldn't she see that he didn't want to risk losin' her?

He undressed himself and she urged him to move closer to her. She sat up, propping herself up on her elbows. Pulling him closer yet until he understood what she was doing. She guided him in with her hand using her tongue on just the right spot. His hands went into her hair, massaging the back of her neck. "Where'd you learn to do this?" He whispered, never feelin' anything so incredible in his life aside from the sex he'd had with her. She didn't answer but ran her slender hands up and down the trembling muscles of his stomach. He let her take the lead, trying to hold back but not wanting to. He didn't have watch so they could go at it later if they wanted, they had the whole night. "Sorry, I ain't gonna last long with ya doin' this."

With him sayin' that, she picked up her pace and he fully expected her to pull off him at any moment, but was completely surprised when she held him to her when he let go.

They collapsed in a tangled heap, with his hips way higher upon the mattress than hers. She cradled her head into his hip bone. "Do we have any water up here?" She croaked.

That set him off laughing, and earned a smile from her. "I'll have to go get'cha some you stubborn thing you." It was so hard to stay angry with her.

The next morning, he found the bed empty, dressed and hurried downstairs just in time to see Rick, Andrea and T-Dog off. "We aim to be back tomorrow by dinner."

Carol came up behind him with their food packs. "Make it last, same thing I told the last group, though it should."

Rick shouldered the camping gear on his back and kissed his boy good-bye. "I promise you we'll be as quick as we can."

It took some prodding from Carol as they sat on the porch step with the boy but they finally got him to head inside to eat something for breakfast.

Daryl didn't know nothin' about kids, but watching how good she dealt with Carl made him envious of the fact that he never had anyone do that for him, aside from his Grandma. It'd been rare to get in a visit with her, but he remembered the few times he'd shared with her vividly.

"What's wrong Daryl?" She asked, her arm around Carl as they went in.

He grabbed the crossbow from the doorway. "Nothin'. I'll stay close. Just goin' huntin' for a bit."

She nodded, eyes scanning the immediate area. Glenn had taken down two more walkers in the night. He barely remembered Herschel telling him when he went down to get Carol's water in the night.

The very next evening after the remainder of the group had eaten, all but Tyreese, who was on duty out back, waited in the front yard for the trio to get back. Carol sat on the steps with Beth on one side, Carl on the other.

"Do you really have to go to the prison with everyone else?" Carl asked her.

It didn't surprise Daryl that the boy knew. His own mom hadn't been no good at keepin' an eye on him and now even with all of them to do it, he'd still gotten the skinny on what they had planned.

"That's enough." Daryl told him in as stern of a tone as he dared without getting too loud. "You should learn to stay put when the adults got somethin' they need to discuss."

Carol, cut him a glance that told him 'enough', and he made a face at her.

"It'll be okay. I'll have your daddy there to help me and everyone else. Maggie and Herschel will take good care of you."

Daryl noticed he eye roll Maggie gave Glenn, but the sound of approaching footsteps ahead, distracted him. The bow was off his shoulder and ready within seconds. Rick gave the low whistle they'd practiced so they'd know it was them, but Daryl kept the bow trained on the woods ahead, just in case as everyone looked on anxiously.

"It's us." He whispered as they approached. "I got a friend with me."

Questioning looks were exchanged between the seven of them. "What friend?" Daryl called moving to the front of the group.

"Daryl, put down the bow." Rick said, walking through the bushes at the edge of the yard. Next to him stood a black man about his size with a hard, mean look in his eyes. Andrea and T-Dog appeared on either side of them.

"Don't you listen Daryl?" Andrea asked.

"Wha – oh." Daryl responded, lowering the crossbow.

"This is Morgan." Rick told them when he got close enough for all of them to hear. "And we just found the other three quarters of the army we need to finish that bastard off."


	31. Locked And Loaded

**Get ready, get set, we're going into battle in the next Chapter! Hope you're all still with me! Thank you for all the kind reviews the last time around. You are all wonderful readers & reviewers! :)**

Carol remembered on the drive from the CDC to the highway, Rick had talked to her and Lori about Morgan Jones and his boy Duane who was a little older than Carl, though tonight she saw no boy with them. She hoped he was back at the man's camp.

"What do you mean the other three quarters of the army we need?" Daryl grumbled, the cold breeze, ruffling his hair.

Carol knew that anything or anyone new always threw Daryl, so she moved past him, putting a hand on his shoulder briefly. "Rick told me about you early in our travels Morgan. Welcome." She said shaking the man's hand firmly, as he shifted his rifle to his other hand. When she glanced back at Daryl, his face was scrunched up, like he was mulling this new development over. She tried giving him a reassuring smile, but he glanced off to the side.

"We'd better get our asses inside. It's obvious we got things to discuss." He told them all. The aggravation rang clear in his voice. She was positive all different kinds of scenarios were running through his mind.

"You're the guy Rick talked to on the walkie outside of Atlanta every day." Glenn piped up as they all crowded through the door.

"I heard him, every word." Morgan said, "But for one reason or another mine wasn't transmitting back to him, so basically we just listened in every morning until his updates stopped coming and he told us you were all moving on."

Rick's mood had improved even further with the discovery of Morgan and his men, who'd stayed behind at Morgan's compound. They sat around the kitchen table late into the night, while he and Rick retold the story of how they met when he made it back to his house after waking up in the hospital just outside of Atlanta. When it came to his son, Duane, Morgan waited until they knew the kids had gone to sleep to delve into the horrific story.

"I avoided the city, like Rick told me to. I took my boy and we moved from place to place trying to make our way closer to where we thought you were going. I was hoping to meet up with you again or another group like yours. There's a whole lot of ugliness out there, and you know I don't just mean the walkers. Unfortunately for us Woodbury was the town we stumbled into."

"Woodbury. The next town out from the Greene farm." Glenn said. Maggie and Herschel exchanged glances.

"That's where this maniac comes from." Rick informed them. "He originally ran with Randall's group, when there were less of them. Now he's their leader."

"He wasn't their leader. Not always." Morgan said. "He somehow convinced the citizens to take down what was left of the National Guard there, although they weren't doing a much better job of keeping the survivors protected. This man though, he's even more sadistic and twisted. We were there when he first took over. He promised everyone the killings would stop, that order would be brought to the community and for a brief while order was restored. But then I was recruited into this - this army he was growing." Morgan was in his own world as he went on. It couldn't be easy for him to relay all of it to them. "Found out he was brutalizing women, killing them, he and his men. He keeps his daughter tied up and with him; she's turned into a walker. He used the men that betrayed his army and the women he'd torture to keep her fed." Morgan's voice faltered as he said that, and Carol knew he was leading into what happened with his son. Her stomach churned, dinner threatening to come up. Things could've been so much worse for Sophia, she realized. "Some of his men went along with his sick games, a few of us tried to escape. I knew I had to get Duane out of there. I had to keep my son safe, but that didn't happen. Once he found out what me and a few of my men were up to, he took the one person in my life that I had left. I watched as he let that walker girl - " Morgan couldn't even finish, tears glistened in the corners of his eyes.

There were resounding murmurs of disgust and horror from around the table. Carol reached out and took his shaking hand, watching Daryl, who stood in the corner of the kitchen with his arms crossed. He appeared just as sickened as the rest of them.

After a moment Morgan caught his breath. "Me and a few others managed an escape soon after that and we've been rescuing people ever since. We added quite a few men and some women to our group when they moved from Woodbury to the development you've been to."

Rick cleared his throat, obviously trying to block out his own awful memories of the night he was there. "We came upon Morgan's camp this afternoon. Andrea just about got caught in one of their snare traps."

The group looked over at Andrea who lowered her head to hide a slight smile spreading across her lips. "Nice, thank you for sharing Rick." She said, eyeing him.

T-Dog elbowed her gently. "We all know you're still a bad ass. Besides, Rick stopped ya before you got pulled up."

She rolled her eyes. "Anyhow. Morgan has an impressive military back at his camp and they're ready and willing to go in with us to get this guy."

Tyreese spoke up. "Question is do we want the prison back once we end this?"

"That's one question." Daryl interrupted. "First we need ta figure out how to get past the governor's men and get close enough to take the son of a bitch out."

It was about two a.m. when they crowded out of the kitchen, most of them yawning, ready for bed, but with a solid plan in mind. Daryl met her by the stairway, ready to take shift out back. Morgan was going to take the front.

"You heading up?" He asked her, pausing by the stairway.

"Yeah, I'm gonna look in on Carl and Beth first. I'll see you in a few hours." She whispered with Maggie a few paces ahead of her on the steps.

He reached out laying his hand on her arm, pulling her down a step to where he stood, and giving her a peck on her cheek. She stared back at him, trying to hide the shock and avoid the stares of the others as they made their way through the small space of the hallway. Still she managed to lift her lips into a tired smile to let him know she appreciated the gesture.

Upstairs, she tucked the bed covers up around Carl and side stepped Beth in the bed she'd made on the floor to peek out the window at Morgan. She felt a deep sadness for him that she could completely relate to. Making sure she was bundled up with the quilt from her and Daryl's bedroom, she crept back down the stairs and walked out the front door.

* * *

It was about five a.m. when Daryl came around the corner of the house and found Carol sitting on the steps with Morgan. "You even gotten to bed yet?" He tried not to sound angry or jealous, but it slipped through in his voice.

"Sorry Daryl, I'm about to go up with you. I was just talkin' with Morgan about some things."

The man seemed friendly enough, rough around the edges, shaped by the horrors he'd been through. Daryl didn't want to be possessive of Carol, or upset that she'd been out there talking to a guy they'd just met the entire time he'd been on watch out back, but he couldn't help it. "Hmm." He grunted passing by the two, noticing that she reached out and squeezed Morgan's hand before she left.

In his heart and mind things began to ache, just a little. And once again the self-doubt crept in, the thought that she deserved more than what he could offer her. The quandary of why they were even trying whatever it was between them in a world like this. He was quiet as he set the bow down near the bed and climbed in with her. She didn't seem to have a clue that anything was wrong, which was odd. She usually read him like an open book, but it was clear she had a lot on her mind.

"He lost his son in the worst possible way." She whispered, pain evident in her voice. "It's not something you snap out of or get over in a heartbeat. I couldn't imagine. I mean I lost Sophia and it was by far the most devastating experience I've ever gone through, but Morgan – what he dealt with, it makes me want to get to the governor first and tear his eyes out."

Daryl snorted. "Get in fuckin' line." She didn't even sound like herself, and yet even with all the thoughts rolling around in his head, he still leaned over to where she was sitting on the bed, arms wrapped around her knees and slid his around her, leaning into her shoulder. As soon as he did it, he knew was wrong to doubt her. She responded right away, rubbing her cheek back over his and then he felt the tears that had fallen. "Hey, lay down, get a few hours rest. We got a long hike over to Morgan's camp to put this all into action within the next day or two. You'll be exhausted. You been taking those vitamins?"

He felt her nod against his shoulder. "I keep them with me in my bag."

His lips turned up. _Her magic bag._ He thought. She carried that small notebook, her pencils, her journal, those vitamins. Everything she'd need – everything that had to do with them. They may not have family photos, or trinkets, hell he hadn't had any of that shit when he was a kid, but she still tried to keep what was theirs with her. She didn't have photos of Sophia or the rose he first gave her back at the farm, not even the beer bottle, but he knew now that if she'd been able to she'd have it all there with them.

They'd never been huge on cuddling, but always managed to grip each others hands or wrap their legs around each other while they slept. This morning he sensed that she needed more and shimmied closer to her. "Here, come on." He told her resting one hand behind his head, letting her rest hers on his shoulder.

She wrapped her arm around the span of his chest, let out a soft moan and whispered, "This is different."

He kissed the top of her head and told her to get to sleep, but he wouldn't close his eyes until she finally did. He wouldn't admit out loud - that he was afraid. It was clear what needed to happen, but having her fight with him side by side when it wasn't anything she was used to or truthfully prepared for, was nerve wracking. His heart felt like it would explode every time the thought crossed his mind. But they'd had their talk, hadn't they? They knew what to do if they lost one another. Only he wasn't ready for that to happen.

They left at noon taking most of the weapons they could carry, leaving Maggie and Herschel with enough ammo to go on for what guns they were keeping there. One of them, if not all of them would make them back to the house. He had to believe that.

* * *

Morgan assured them there would be food and shelter once they arrived. The ideas that they'd thrown around at the table last night would become a definite plan once they met up with Morgan's army later that night. Carol kept close to Daryl, who shouldered his crossbow, glancing at her nervously every now and then. It was safe to say that they were both scared shitless. She knew he'd never tell her, but the way he held her this morning while they slept had said it all.

As they walked, she thought back to her talk with Morgan. He was a good man, she knew it the moment he'd come through the yard with Rick. She was overjoyed to have someone to vent to about Sophia who could relate to what she'd been through and it seemed she'd been able to help him too. When Daryl had walked around the corner seeing that she hadn't gone to bed, an old, familiar feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach. If Ed had ever caught her doing something that upset him there'd be hell to pay and sometimes that period of her life which felt like two lifetimes ago, came rushing back. Daryl hadn't been too upset though and it just served to remind her of how different things were now and how lucky she was to be with this group, her new found family, people she'd gladly lay down her life for.

The camp turned out to be a fully fledged fortress, about two hours into the woods across the road from the summer camp, but closer to the prison than she realized, once she got a look at the map later on.

Morgan's camp looked like something out of the movie Swiss Family Robinson that she'd seen long ago with her daddy at the drive in theater. It was fairly small, but surrounded by two fences with guards posted at each corner. It was mostly made up of men but there were a few women they'd managed to rescue. Some were warriors like Michonne, others were helping around the low burning fires, cooking and washing laundry.

The group was ushered into the main fort, a two story, dilapidated house they'd bandaged up and loaded with goodies collected from here and there. Most of Morgan's men were rugged men, full of tension and angst. God only knew what they'd been through. All eyes were on them as they were the outsiders, but all had a healthy respect for Morgan as he brought them through, some clapping him on the back and greeting them with warm welcomes, others standing at stern attention.

They were given a bountiful dinner - fried fish, seasoned noodles and canned beans. Carol felt a bit odd and out of place not being the person who helped cook the meal, but she had to remember their purpose and what she was now a party to.

Night fell quickly, as it did these days. It was mid December now, and darkness took over the land just after five p.m. by Dale's watch. In the main room of the house lay a long banquet table which they all gathered around while Morgan collected further information on the whereabouts of the governor from his men. He indeed had moved his belongings to the prison earlier that day along with the walker girl that he kept.

Rick, Daryl and Morgan sat at one end of the table going over maps and papers while his men filed in and out taking different watch shifts every hour. Finally a formal meeting was called and the ideas strategically placed into a written plan. Carol began to get sleepy half way through the meeting until Daryl called her name, snapping her out of the haze she'd fallen into.

"Hey, you gonna pay attention or what? This is where you come in."

Andrea bumped her arm and smiled, she seemed excited and unafraid. "We're going in together." She whispered, trying to reassure her.

The rest of the time they talked about the when's, what's, where's and the possibilities. Daryl, Tyreese and Morgan had one of the most dangerous tasks. She didn't like the sounds of what he'd have to do, but he'd been the one to volunteer and she knew it'd be futile to argue with him about it, she was here after all and that in itself was a miracle. Rick would lead the rest of them in along the west side where they'd escaped from.

They adjourned later that night piling into a room full of cots, which was the most Morgan could offer with as many people as he had to look after. Daryl made sure of which cot she took and then put his bow near the one next to hers. Andrea smiled at them from across the room. "Everything's gonna be fine. He's got some brawny men out there."

Carol exchanged a glance with Daryl as he took his boots off. She was even more scared about everything now and trying desperately to hide it, still she let out a small giggle, making Daryl's lips turn up. Andrea had made it known she'd be on the prowl once they hooked up with another group, especially if any of the men were her type.

Sleep didn't come easy, not when she was used to bedding down with him every night. It was obvious from the ruckus he was making over in his cot that he wasn't having any better of a time of it. Everyone else seemed to be silent and it was pitch black, so she didn't see the harm when she got up and quietly slid her cot over next to his. It was cold, so she hurried to get back under her covers and reached an arm over, laying it on his chest. He let out a soft grunt that sounded appreciative and laid his hand over hers, clutching it tightly. Finally she was able to sleep and he as well, despite the anxious, gnawing feeling in her stomach.

The march to the prison took over three hours and they started out after a decent breakfast of powdered eggs and rabbit the men had caught in the traps they'd made. They gathered in the thickest part of the woods off to the west where the sun barely filtered through the trees. Tyreese, Morgan and Daryl were about to leave to do their part. There wasn't any point in stalling. The two men began to walk away, but Daryl stood by her side for just a moment longer. He glanced at the large group of men that surrounded their little family then looked her in the eyes. "It's gonna be fine." He told her, but he couldn't hide his fear from her. "You – you know how I, - damnit." He groaned, unable to finish, turning away from her, but not before she noticed his lips turn down and his eyes watering.

She watched as he walked away behind the other two who had stood waiting. She knew what he'd wanted to say and that meant the world to her. Rick laid his hand on her shoulder a moment later, giving her a shaky smile. "Ready?" He asked and then looked at everyone else gathered around them.

She wasn't ready. She wouldn't ever be ready to lose any of them, but she gave him a confident nod as they began walking toward the west side of the prison wall in the chilly air.


	32. All That Matters

**Action! Action! Action! Once I got going on this I didn't wanna stop! Please let me know what you think. I should add, I own nothing concerning TWD, comic or show, and I'm doing this as always for pure entertainment. :) Thank you readers & reviewers. You make my days and nights. Kat**

Waiting. That was what Carol couldn't stand. Tyreese, Morgan and Daryl were going to walk up to the gate and demand to see the governor. It was quite a huge risk they were taking. They could be shot on site or thrown in cells without them ever laying eyes on the man. But they came with false promises. Promises of trading men – and women of their large group, and that would hopefully raise an eyebrow or two, get them noticed - get them in.

The sun glinted across the prison lawn making it impossible to keep an eye on the trio's progress as they made their way around to the gate. Rick, Michonne and Carol stood near the west wall while the others waited in the shrubbery. She looked for Daryl's bike and found that it'd been discovered and was gone.

Rick took the walkie out of his pocket when he heard the static crackling through. He turned the dial down and waited.

"Almost there." Daryl's hushed whisper came through the speaker. "Two of 'em on the roof, but they ain't lookin' your way, not yet. Looks like they're too busy jerkin' each other off. They haven't spotted us either. I'm 'bout to ditch the walkie." There was a distinct pause and Rick almost put it back in his pocket but his Daryl spoke again. "Carol, you know damn well what I wanted to say a few minutes ago and over this thing it just doesn't seem right."

Her heart beat strong against her rib cage. She swiped the walkie from Rick's hand and pressed the button in with her thumb. "Daryl, I know how you feel. I've known for a long time. No matter what happens, I love you. I'll see you in a little bit." Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she handed the walkie back. She smiled Rick's way, wiping at them, so many emotions rushing through her.

"You'll see him." He agreed, crinkling his eyelids against the sun. "Now let's get moving before _they_ see us."

Carol was the lightest so Michonne hopped up on Rick's shoulders and held her arms out to boost her up. "Quick now." She urged.

Carol maneuvered herself up on the wall and lay flat, making sure nothing spilled out of her bag. She knew that if she survived this day she'd be feeling it to the very depths of her bones tomorrow. Reaching down, she grasped Michonne's hand and found the woman easily crept her way up the wall, like a spider. Rick came next, making a running leap at it, hooking onto their hands until he could grab the wall with his own, and boosted himself up. They all hung over the side and dropped into the side courtyard.

"Doesn't this seem too easy?" Carol whispered, glancing around at the lack of security on the place. "You'd think they would've seen us. We would've seen us if it were us still here."

Rick pointed. There was shouting at the gate. "It appears they're distracted. Remember, they may be heavily armed but there aren't as many of them as there are us now. Let's go."

Cell Block Ten was the area they planned on sneaking through. It'd be the easiest way. They figured there'd either be a massive cleanup going on or they'd just close it off and they were hoping it would be the latter. Rick nudged the nearest window, laying down flat on the ground while Carol and Michonne crouched against the wall.

"We're good." He said, prying the window open and crawling inside. Michonne slid in next and Carol after her. The place reeked of the dead. It became apparent that no one had been down to clean up the mess. Stray flies buzzed around her ears, tempting her to wretch. Rick held them back with his arm. "Careful, there might be stragglers. It's tough to tell in the dark." He whispered.

Carol rubbed the small hand gun tucked inside her bag, debating on taking it out. She'd fired it a few times, practicing at Morgan's camp but that would have to do. There hadn't been a safe place to practice without drawing walkers to them before that, but at least she knew how to aim and fire. Everything appeared to be quiet. She couldn't imagine the governor's men leaving any walkers in the cell block, but just to be safe she pulled one of her knives out deciding it would be a better choice of a weapon for the moment.

Andrea and T-Dog would lead the men into the building within the next ten minutes. Once they figured out where the governor was, Carol would back track and have them follow her in.

Nothing much had changed from what she could see via the route they were taking. And she wasn't liking the fact that they hadn't run into any of the governor's men. Rick and Morgan had said that some would still be moving things from the development, but they should've run into one or two by now. She didn't really know what to expect.

They heard the first gunshot when they passed by the empty kitchen. And then Rick began running with Michonne on his heels. She kept a steady jog trailing them, drawing her gun and keeping an eye out behind them.

Her heart throbbed in her throat. She had to keep focused. They came to such an abrupt halt right outside the lobby that she almost ran into them. He signaled for her to go back to fetch the others. She wanted more than anything to poke her head above his shoulder just to see the source of the gunfire, or maybe a glimpse of Daryl, but Rick pushed her to move.

It was impossible not to panic with terrible thoughts choking her. Andrea and T-Dog were on their way, followed by Morgan's men storming down the hallway.

As she passed by the kitchen again she paused when she noticed a shadow duck back in behind the door. There was that unmistakable feeling that someone was watching her. It wouldn't be difficult for the group to be ambushed as they made their way to Rick. She held up a finger and forced herself to walk through the kitchen doorway. The gun trembled in her hand when she eased her way around the corner, but whoever it was had gone on through another door into a hallway that led down behind the lobby. It led to the end of the hallway in which the offices were situated, she remembered.

"Hey." Someone whispered.

Carol sucked in a breath, suppressing a scream. "Andrea."

"Shhh, sorry I didn't mean to scare you. They're on their way down there."

Carol glanced around the door and saw the men rushing by.

"Let's go this way, that way we've got people on both sides." Andrea suggested.

"Someone just went down this way, and they weren't one of ours." Carol warned her.

She shrugged. "Even better. Let's get him."

Carol followed her down the narrow passage, thankfully free of doorways and places to hide. "We heard a shot." She whispered fitfully.

Andrea kept pressing ahead. "We heard it too. Maybe they killed the bastard."

_No such luck_. Carol thought. A booming voice echoed throughout the lobby as they got closer, easing past the offices. T-Dog and the others waited on the other side spotting them immediately.

"Where is Rick?" Andrea mouthed across the way.

T-Dog shrugged. "I don't know!" He mouthed back, his eyes large and concerned.

The source of the loud and sinister voice came from whom she only could assume was the governor himself. He was a tall man with a thick wave of dark hair combed over his head. From her vantage point she decided he might've been handsome at one time in his life, though when he angled his face just right, Carol could've sworn she saw Lucifer himself in the man's green eyes. He was downright creepy.

Daryl, Tyreese and Morgan stood in front of the governor and two of his men, with one man laying dead at Daryl's feet, bleeding out from a gunshot wound to the head. Morgan's eyes were trained to the left and as she followed his stare she found the walker girl he'd spoken of, Philips daughter. She was tied to the banister of the stairway by her arms, teeth gnashing at the air, skin rotten and toady looking, hair that had once been cared for and soft, hung in a greasy, matted mess.

Daryl met her eyes for a split second, giving her the reassurance she needed. He was okay, at least for now and so was she.

"I don't think you gentleman realize what you walked into. Morgan, you might, but you, the scruffy one there, Daryl is it?" He asked pointing at Daryl, "and you, you overgrown brute." He gestured to Tyreese. "I could have you all killed on the spot. Luckily for you Penny had her breakfast this morning." The governor gestured to the walker girl. When he held out his hand she went after it with insatiable hunger.

Morgan visibly flinched. She felt horrible for him, and grew more disgusted with what was going down. Andrea threw her hand out in front of her. She must've thought Carol was going to walk out there.

"I'm fine." Carol whispered feeling very frustrated. She wasn't fine but she wasn't stupid enough to risk their lives anymore than they already were.

"I think you boys can spend some time in confinement and maybe after a spell I won't _only _have you three, but the men and women you mentioned when you got here as well." He addressed Daryl specifically. "Seeing as how you and your friends were responsible for the dent those roamers put in my army and for the escape of those two beautiful women I had the pleasure of fornicating with. Lori - " He said her name with pleasure oozing out of his mouth, pausing before he went on to roll his thumbs around one another. "and the exotic Michonne, such a feisty bitch she was. Do you honestly think I'd believe you'd hand them over to me?" He glanced at the dead man. "See what he gets for believing such lies?"

Daryl puffed his shoulders up, a stance he instinctively used to make himself appear larger than he was. His voice got louder as he spoke up. "Doesn't matter what you believe. You were the one that sent _your_ army bustin' in here, wantin' to capture us, rape our women. I'd say you asked for it, you fuckin' wanna be. You ain't no governor you sick fuck."

The man was unflappable. He marched down the steps aiming his rifle at Daryl, stepping over the body and avoiding the pool of blood without even sparing a glance at the floor. "I've been called worse." He said calmly, the gun inches from Daryl's face. "You think you hurt my feelings? You aren't the only people who've suffered." His voice shook when he said that.

Daryl barely flinched when the governor lowered the gun, drew back and punched him in the eye. He put his hand up to cover it quickly and held the man's steady gaze, with his good one, fist clenched at his side.

She however was shaking like a weed in a gust of wind. Andrea's grip tightened around her arm. "Not yet. Stay with me Carol."

She barely heard the footsteps behind her, being so focused on the scene playing out in the lobby; apparently Andrea was too, as she didn't turn around either. Their eyes were on Michonne, who suddenly snuck out from the hallway across from them, despite T-Dog trying to hold her back. Andrea gasped in her ear as they watched her maneuver quickly down the steps behind the governor without making a sound.

She had a wire in her hands and looped it over the governor's head, wrapping it around his neck. When she pulled it tight, they both lost their balance and his gun, thankfully drew higher than Daryl's face, going off into the ceiling. Chunks of plaster fell onto the floor behind him. Daryl moved quick, pulling it out of his grasp and aimed it at the other two men who had their guns trained on Michonne and the governor. A thin slice of blood appeared around his neck and dribbled down to his shirt collar. Michonne pulled her knife from her pocket and stabbed it into his shoulder all the way to the handle. He didn't have a chance to cry out before she tugged harder causing him to gag and sputter.

"I want him alive." Michonne spit out to the others.

Andrea nodded to T-Dog, and both ran into the lobby to take the other two men by surprise. Gunfire broke out in the hallway from where T-Dog and Michonne had been hiding and Morgan's men were suddenly fighting off what men the governor had at the prison that were trying to get through.

The footsteps sounded behind her again, but closer now. She felt it again, eyes boring into her and when she turned around, gun steady in her hands she met eyes as blue as Daryl's, framed by a similar face, but older.

"M- Merle." She stammered.

"You really don't wanna do that little lady." He held his hand and stump up, which had been covered with a piece of leather and a brace. He appeared unarmed, but she knew not to trust him. And by the smug look on his face, one she'd seen Daryl pull many times, she knew she had to get the hell out of that hall. Maybe he wanted to get caught by a stray bullet coming across from the other side, but she didn't and he was probably just as dangerous, hiding here with the governor. She turned on her heel and followed Andrea, hoping to get to Daryl in time to warn him, hearing Merle chide, completely unruffled, "That's right. Run little lady."

When she descended the stairway and took her place next to Daryl, she aimed her gun at the same man Daryl was aiming at. Andrea and T-Dog were tying them up while Tyreese and Daryl covered them.

"Where the fuck is Rick?" Daryl asked Andrea.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"He was with Michonne when I went back to lead you and the men in." Carol told them.

She watched as Michonne slowly got the governor to his feet, attempting to force him to go with her. His boots squeaked along the tile on the stairs, each move for him excruciatingly painful, Carol was sure and for the first time, she found she enjoyed watching a human being writhe in pain.

Michonne was out of her mind now that she had control over him, slicing a half-moon shaped cut into his cheek, smiling while she did it. He didn't beg for mercy, he almost looked like he was enjoying himself.

Daryl stared after them in awe. "Sick bastard."

She wasn't sure if he was talking about Michonne or the governor. "Daryl, I need to tell you somethin'."

"Not now, Carol." He hissed, throwing his arm out, trying to push her behind him.

The gunfire and chaos from around the corner was threatening to spill out into the lobby. Andrea and T-Dog lined the men up once their arms were secured behind their backs and shot them in the head military style, getting them out of the way. Only then did the governor flinch and begin to struggle against Michonne.

"Oh they were important to you? Huh? Well my people are important to me too." She said against his ear, dragging him up the last step past the man who stepped out of the shadows.

* * *

Daryl watched, gun aimed, as Michonne pulled the governor away past a pair for familiar leather boots. His eyes crept up the jean clad legs and stopped at the stump, covered in leather and a brace.

"Daryl." He heard Carol say, from behind him as his hands flew up, jaw dropped, gun fell to the floor.

Carol scrambled to pick it up and put it back in his hands, but he shoved her back behind him rougher than he shoulda. He just couldn't believe what he was seein'.

"Hello baby brother. Betcha never thought ya'd see me again." Merle ignored Michonne and the governor, walking right past them down the steps. The gunfire off to the right didn't even seem to faze him. His eyes were locked on Daryl's. "Never thought I'd find that you'd take off on me with the fuckers that left me - " he looked over at T-Dog, who blew a long breath out of his mouth and rolled his eyes. Merle finished the sentence turning back to Daryl, screaming. "UP ON THAT ROOF!"

Daryl stood his ground, not saying a word or making an excuse and Merle went at him like a dog, ramming his fist into Daryl's stomach, doubling him over.

Though his vision had already been blurred when the governor had smashed his eye, he saw Rick coming up behind them and heard Carol unlock the safety on her gun.

"Get the hell away from him." She yelled. "I know you're his brother but I'll fucking kill you if you touch him again."

Daryl tried standing upright. It wasn't anything Merle hadn't done before – in fact he'd fucked him over a lot worse.

"I'm fine. Get'cher damn gun outta his face." He yelled as best he could, snapping his head around to look at her, seeing double.

Above all the noise Merle started cackling. "What this your little lady friend lil' bro? You finally gettin' some pussy after all these years?"

"Fuck off Merle." He screamed; spit flying out of his mouth.

"Although I don't know why. She ain't much ta look at, but maybe she makes up for it in enthusiasm?"

"Hey!" Morgan yelled, stepping up with his gun.

"What are you fuckin' her too?" Merle added looking at Morgan with a big shit eatin' grin on his face.

Daryl geared up to lunge into him when Rick walked up to him, tapping Merle on the shoulder. "You heard the man. Fuck off Merle." Rick put his gun to his temple and clicked the safety off. "You any better? Here with the governor and his people?"

"You don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about officer fuckin' friendly. I heard you found ya family. Heard ya lost your wife too." Merle said, another smile playing on his lips. "Tha's too bad."

At that point Daryl pushed forward into Merle's gut with all his weight, partly to save him from Rick's bullet, which fired in between him and Carol and partly because he fuckin' deserved to be knocked on his ass for once.

He wound up straddling his big brother and he pulled back punching him in the face three or four times before two more of the governor's men crashed through the door behind them, with billy clubs. "Aw, fuck!" Daryl screamed when Carol, who'd been trying to pull him off of Merle took a hit to the head, crumpling next to him, blood spilling down the side of her face.

Rick shot the first one while Tyreese took out the second, only he backed up too close to the walker girl who was snarling and nipping for any flesh she could get her teeth into. He grit his teeth in pain as she clamped into his forearm taking a huge chunk of skin off of it.

Andrea raced over ripping her belt from her jeans and made a tourniquet as quick as she possibly could. T-Dog finished Penny off with a shot to the head and knelt down next to Andrea.

Morgan was at Carol's side before Daryl could get off of his brother. He tore off his flannel shirt and held it up to her head.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck." Daryl chanted, finally reaching her. She was out cold.

"Don't, don't move her." Morgan told him, lifting his shirt to show Daryl where some of the skin on her scalp had peeled back to the bone. Blood poured out of the wound.

T-Dog checked the hallway. "There's some more comin'. You're men seem to be holdin' them back, but - "

"I gotta move her!" Daryl moaned, not even holding back from cryin'. "I gotta get her the fuck out of here."

Rick and Morgan exchanged glances. "At least let me tie this to keep pressure on it." Morgan said.

Merle sat up, bleeding from his mouth. "What the fuck's wrong with you boy? Ya cryin'?"

"Shut up!" Daryl screamed louder than he ever thought he had before. It came from deep down inside of him, all the repressed anger, love and hatred. He knew if he took Carol now there was the chance that his brother would die. It was an easy choice. The easiest one he ever made.

He stood wiped his good eye, bent over and scooped Carol up in his arms, pausing to take a rifle and some ammo from Rick. Giving his brother one last look, he took off out the front door, with Morgan covering him. Anyone who crossed his path after this was a dead man walking.


	33. Talkin' To The Walls

**Almost to the finish line! 1 more chapter and the epilogue to go. :) Thank you for the reviews/msgs and for reading. This one is fluffy...just a warning, and Daryl usually doesn't talk a lot but in this chapter it was necessary and you'll see why he does. I have to add that I have my wonderful hubby to thank for helping me with some of the manly things Daryl does around the place in this chapter. I'm a girl and I don't know these things, what can I say? hahaha! Kat  
**

The bleeding had slowed by the time he found the blue double wide situated down the first dirt road off the main drag from the prison. He didn't care how close he was to it at this point; there was no way he could carry her the few hours it would take to get her back to Herschel - they were on their own.

He fought to slow his breathing, anxiety coursing through his body. The adrenaline rush was the only thing that had gotten them this far. There wasn't time to do a thorough sweep of the acreage or the house. His crossbow had been confiscated the moment they'd stepped through the prison gates. All he had was the rifle he'd taken from Rick and he certainly couldn't shoot anything with it carrying her.

Instead of standin' there thinkin' about it, he walked across the front deck and kicked the door in, waiting, his ears trained for that unmistakable moaning sound. He sniffed the air for the stench of death. Fortunately the place was empty. It smelled like the family had owned cats at one point and he remembered back to his childhood when his mama had them running around all over the Dixon property. When she took off, his father had gone through the lot of them shooting every single one, including Daryl's favorite, a plump, yellow tom.

The living room was a large space that opened to the kitchen. Going from thick carpet to hard wood laminate, he almost tripped, bitching as he went. He carried her across into the back hall pausing again, listening. When he heard nothing, he took her into the master bedroom and laid her on an old mattress and box spring covered by several comforters. Carefully he slipped her bag from her shoulders and set it next to the bed. Her skin was ghostly white and it'd been awhile since he'd checked her pulse.

"Please be alive." He whimpered, putting two of his fingers to her neck. A slow and erratic beat thumped against his fingertips. "Barely." Relief came, but with it, more fears.

Morgan's shirt was soaked, but the blood stains were drying. It looked like it would hold just long enough for him to scout around the place for water, some clean rags, a needle and thread. He'd have to try and stitch the wound himself. God only knew how much damage the blow she'd taken had done on the inside and if she did live, he had the added worry of whether she'd be right again.

Daryl didn't know if she'd make it but he didn't want to think about the fact that she actually could die. It'd weighed heavily on his mind for the past three days and here they were, his nightmares comin' true right in front of his eyes.

"Hang on. Stay with me honey." He whispered, wondering if it were possible that she could hear him. "I need ta find some things to help ya." Before he left the room he covered her up with one of the thickest bedspreads. The house was chilly and damp from not being aired out in months.

Water was first on the list. The kitchen sink yielded a sputter of dirty water, air and then nothing. The pump was electric and he was willing to bet if he looked around he wouldn't find a generator – not here.

"The water heater." He mumbled to himself. There was a laundry room across the small hallway from the bedroom and he found it easily. He ripped the panel off the wall and glanced out the back door window. Two sheds stood out in the small back yard, painted the same gray-blue color as the front deck. If he were to find any tools, they'd be out there. Luck was with him, however. A huge, flat head screw driver lay propped up in the corner of the small space. He took the grease rag out of his back pocket, wiped the entire top of the cylinder down and pried the lid off. In the kitchen cupboard he found a messy arrangement of bowls, pots and pans. He grabbed the cleanest bowl he could find, a cup out of the cupboard and scooped cold water from the inside of the water heater. If she made it through the night he would have to search out the well in the next day or two.

In a small nook between the kitchen cupboards, he found a sewing basket that held what he needed. Hurrying into the bedroom, he took a look in the master bathroom for some clean wash cloths and towels. Finding this place had been a lucky break despite only being a mile from all the chaos. It held practically everything he needed, if only she hung on.

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her for a moment, still unresponsive, still pale as fuck. The sun was on its way down but it gave him just enough light that he could stitch up the wound without the use of a candle if he worked steady.

"No sense fuckin' around." He said, dipping one of the wash cloths in the water and washing his own hands first. He set that down next to his foot and carefully untied the turban that Morgan had fashioned around her head. Ugly blood clots had formed across the jagged area of skin that had broken. He took a deep breath, dipped a fresh wash cloth in the water and laid it on the wound, hoping she'd come around but her head just lolled in his hands.

He was no good at this but damnit he had to try. Maybe he should've made Morgan come with him or Rick. He'd felt alone – really alone many times in his life, but never as alone as he did right now.

"Damnit." He swore. "I shouldn'ta looked away from you. I shoulda been payin' attention instead of beatin' the shit outta my brother. You're more important. This is my fault."

His hands shook when he saw the swelling, but it was swelling out, not in, and that was a good sign, right? He didn't know. He put the needle and thick thread he'd found to good use, though it'd been a good twenty years since he'd sewn anything. If there was anything to believe in, in this shit world it was the miracle he'd sat at his grandma's feet when he was young and curious and watched her sew dozens of times before his mama had taken off. He never woulda known how otherwise.

He checked her pulse once more before going to find something clean to bandage her up with. "I'll be right back. You hang tight. I'm doin' my best, ya hear me?" Damn, he hated it when his voice cracked, but he swore her pulse got stronger and more regular when he was talkin' to her. It made him hurry back out to the kitchen to search the cupboards, finding the one that had bandages and gauze inside it.

The family that had lived here must've cut and run, taking only the clothing on their backs. Everything was practically undisturbed. Dusty, but otherwise stocked.

He rushed back in and covered his stitch job with what gauze he'd found, packing an extra layer over the wound.

"Ya know I knew somethin' stupid like this might happen, but I figured it'd be me. I was more afraid it would be actually." He didn't know what else to do but talk to her. He felt her pulse again; irregular when he was quiet and steadier when he spoke. "Not 'cause I's afraid of dyin'. But afraid of you bein' all alone. You wouldn't be though. Not with the group." He stopped, thinking about what had become of them and for the first time since fleeing the prison, felt a fleeting stab of guilt for leaving them there.

She would've died there if he hadn't gotten her out and yet he knew she could've died while he'd jostled her around carrying her out of the prison. Ideally she needed an I.V. In a hospital she would've been put on oxygen. They would've done CAT scans, x-rays. He couldn't do much else for her, other than what he was doin'. Taking her outta there had been her only chance.

Darkness fell over the sky. He'd been outside to take a piss off the deck once. The double wide sat smack in a cove of oak and pine trees with a few willows scattered here and there. A wooden swing set was set up right next to a lone pine in the middle of the yard. It was a nice little place, hardly visible from the side road. Stars twinkled above him and all was quiet.

Just to be safe, he covered the windows in the master bedroom with blankets and lit a few of the candles he'd found. There was food in the cupboards, and gas to ignite the stove top. Rice, canned vegetables, fruits and spam. He devoured the meat and a can of yams, all the while trying to keep up a one-sided conversation.

The desktop computer next to the bed mocked him with its blank screen and dusty keyboard. Used to be if you wanted to know anything about anything, you'd just punch the question into a search engine and it'd yield more answers than you wanted to know. But he knew – he knew what Google would tell him if he could ask. It'd still be a wait and see situation, especially under the circumstances.

He soaked another clean washcloth in a small bowl of fresh water. Holding her upright, he squeezed as little as he dared inside her mouth, watching her breathing carefully. It was maddening listening for her to swallow, which she did, though it was more reflexive than it was anything.

Later he laid down next to her with the rifle in between them, clenching her hand in his and he did something he hadn't done since his Grandma was alive. He said a prayer. It wasn't anything elaborate or eloquent. It was simple and forthright, but he knew if she heard him she'd appreciate it.

"You gotta come back to me. I never had anyone in my life that fit me like you do." He whispered, giving her hand a squeeze. He'd never been more afraid, watching her in the glow of the candlelight, so still and frail. He could barely make out her chest rising and falling.

"Aw, hell I don't know why I never said it out loud Carol. I guess I was bein' stubborn. I didn't wanna admit that I cared. Too afraid with the way the world is now, but more than that I don't think I knew how to. After all ya went through before this? I've always figured you deserved better. But ya kept pushin' me, provin' me wrong. Every time I thought you'd take off, you stayed. Everyone in my life's walked out. But ya know how I feel - you even said it yourself today. You're the strong one."

His eyelids got heavy and he tried swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat. "I can't keep my damned eyes open." He complained, pulling the covers around him, moving closer to keep her warm. "I want ya to know before I fall asleep that I love you. It's been buildin' on me for a long time. Do you hear me?" He asked louder. "I love you. And if you leave me, I promise I'll find the others." His voice was shaking, sinuses filling up. "Fuck." He despised getting emotional. "Don't go. I'm not givin' up on us. Let me wake up tomorra and see you're pretty blue eyes open." He rubbed his nose, trying hard not to cut loose crying like a baby. He was a grown man, and he could handle his shit, as she'd put it so bluntly the other night. She could too. She had so far. It wasn't her fault this had happened. It'd just been crap luck is all.

The doors were locked and barricaded, the house was dead silent and Daryl held her until all feeling disappeared.

When he woke up the next day, there was just enough light pushing past the edges of the blankets to where he could see her. He startled, and moved to touch her, quickly feeling the normal and welcome warmth of her skin. His heartbeat slowed and he lifted the blanket over the window to find a particularly ugly walker slumping along in the front yard in a beat up t-shirt and skudzy jeans.

"Damn." He grumbled, wondering if there were more. He had to get some more water into her and check her bandages. The rifle lay next to her still, pale frame. It physically pained him to see her like this. "I'm awake. Gotta go take care of a geek out front."

It only turned out to be the one, a straggler passing through and he'd been stinking for quite awhile. One thing about the walkers, they just got smellier and nastier as time went on. It felt good to take out some of his repressed anger and aggression on the thing, but quickly he came back to reality, seeing the pond that lay beyond the grove of trees in the yard. He needed to get back inside and get her to take some more water.

Her vitals seemed better and with the blankets off the windows he could see her cheeks pinking up. That was a good sign.

"Hey, I'm gonna sit you up an' give ya some water, kay?" He asked, taking a hold of her hand. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

He waited and got nothing. "Come on, I know you're in there Carol." Just when he started to take his hand away to grab the wash cloth her fingers moved in his palm. "Carol?"

His voice sounded so far away, drowned out by his heart beating in his ears. A few seconds later she moved her hand again and this time he saw her finger nails scraping gently across the palm of his hand. A laugh mixed with a cry erupted from his chest. "You _can_ hear me."

Careful not to jostle her around, he moved around behind her the way he had last night leaning her head back into the soft divot of his shoulder. Dipping the wash cloth he waited as she paused between breaths to sip the water. It wasn't easy and it wasn't enough. He knew she had to wake up soon or she'd get dehydrated and then it wouldn't matter if she was healing. Her lips were already cracked and he made a mental note to scour the house for some Vaseline or chapstick.

The house, he found out later had three more bedrooms, one across from the kitchen and two more on the opposite end of the place with another bathroom. By the posters, pictures and quotes pinned up to the aqua blue walls of the bedroom just off the kitchen, he knew that it'd once belonged to a teenager.

One particular picture on the wall caught his eye – a Cherokee rose. He squinted, moving closer seeing the photo of the quote next to it. "Because there is nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline no matter how many times it's sent away." He read out loud. Then he brushed it off, paced the length of the room and went back to read it again. It fit them, Carol and him, even though he didn't want to admit it, it was staring him right in the face.

He found the chaptstick he needed on the kid's dresser, crowded with perfume, jewelry and hair ties. What the fuck was all this stuff and why the hell would a girl want it piled up on her dresser? He scratched the back of his head walking out of the room, anxious to scout out the pond and locate the well to the house.

Back in with Carol, he knelt down next to her applying the balm to her lips. "I want you to rest. We're at the house I told ya all about last night, do you remember?" She stayed still this time. "I need ta see if I can get some traps set up to catch game or maybe find some more weapons. Maybe I just need ta get out of the damn place for a bit." He admitted, feeling guilty because it was true. Talkin' to the walls was driving him crazy. "I won't be long." A half an hour would be enough to get his head together, get some kind of idea worked out how to keep her hydrated another night if she failed to wake.

In the larger shed, he found tools and a bike project that had been in progress. Obviously the guy'd been a good starter, but not a strong finisher. An old recurve bow and a quiver of arrows hung from a hook on the wall. It wasn't his Horton but it would do in a pinch.

His mind relaxed as he did a perimeter walk around the property finding no well. "Must be up near the house." He mumbled to himself and as he walked up through the shin-high, brown grass he wondered if it might be under the deck. Sure as shit, there was a loose board and when he pried it up, he found it. The fifty gallon water heater was still more than half full but at least he knew where it was.

Huntin' was out of the question unless he could score anything right around the general area. He waited, listened for anything that moved, his instincts taking over. There'd always be small game to hunt. He closed his eyes and heard the soft crunch of leaves in the woods to his right. Waiting until the four-footed creature got closer; he slowly raised the bow and took aim. Out pounced a big, black tom cat.

"What the fuck?" He complained, even though it bounded over to him like he'd found a long lost friend. Soon it was rubbin' on his leg. "Christ." He muttered, tryin' to hear if anything else was wandering around near the house, but gave up altogether because the tom wouldn't quit mewling.

He'd seen a bag of cat food in the large sink in the laundry room and wondered if the big guy belonged to the former occupants of the house. Sure enough, he found a bowl that had been carelessly discarded near the steps at the back door.

When he brought it back out full of food, the tom walked up to the bowl like no time had passed and began eating. "Might be stale big guy." Daryl told him sitting down on the bottom step. He rubbed the tufts of soft fur behind the cat's ears.

"Is that his name? Big Guy?"

He snapped around and stood, almost falling over the cat at the sound of her voice. "Christ almighty."

She held herself upright in the doorway with one hand, the other across her flat stomach lookin' like she was greener than the May grass in Georgia, but she was awake!

She gave him a tiny smile, about all it looked like she could muster and stumbled out to him. He caught her before she made it off the first step.

"You're gonna be alright." He said smiling, not caring if the tears spilled out, holding her. "Did you hear me last night? I love you." It was the first thing he wanted her to hear now that he knew she was okay.

She nodded slowly into his shoulder, leaning most of her weight into him. "I heard you Daryl and I love you back."


	34. Kiss The Shore

**This chapter is long! So I'll make this short. Read, enjoy and review. Thank you! Kat :)**

Days went by without so much as a walker slinking through the yard, or noise coming from the direction of the prison. They'd sat outside and listened for a few nights now and traffic going to and from was rare. The house and yard were off the main road, but not far enough to where you couldn't hear the purr of an engine going by.

It became evident from the way Daryl grew restless with each passing day that he wanted to find out what was going on with the group, maybe even with Merle but he put her care above everything else.

"We're stayin' here 'till you're strong enough to travel. We got plenty of food, water." He said while they were sitting out on the deck one afternoon. "We got the cat." He sniggered, earning a smile from her.

Big Guy had been hanging around inside at night and going out with them as they walked around the property a few times a day. Even the weather had been nice. It'd warmed up into the high fifties.

"I'm enjoyin' myself." She told him. "Not letting my guard down but - " She glanced out around the front yard. " - it's nice here."

Other than the persistent headaches that came on each morning and the way the pain medicine they'd found in one of the kitchen cabinets made her stomach woozy, the time she spent alone here with Daryl was precious, a Godsend. And even still she knew a herd could blow through without warning and the double wide wouldn't hold up as well as the cannibal's house, if at all. This wouldn't last forever. In her heart she knew they needed to reconnect with their people.

Yesterday morning he'd gone hunting, not so far as to where they were out of each other's sight – she resting on the deck in one of the lounge chairs and he in the pine grove near the pond. She'd opened her journal to find her last entry from before the prison raid marked with two photographs. One was a beautiful picture of a Cherokee rose; the other was of the sea with a quote on it. She'd glanced up at Daryl, who was making his way over a downed pine toward the pond. The quote was beautiful and couldn't be more fitting when it came to them. The man just kept giving and giving – quietly because that was Daryl's way. He wouldn't want her to fuss over it either so she'd wiped her tears and started another entry.

Now she watched him in the low light of the afternoon, chewing on a piece of timothy grass, his mind going a hundred miles an hour, obviously because it took her three tries to get his attention.

"Hmm – wha?" He asked, taking the blade out of his mouth, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I said I've never eaten beaver before."

The smirk that played on her lips finally registered and he gave her half a laugh. "I hear it tastes like fish."

She bit the back of her hand to keep a loud giggle from bursting out. They were never much on long, drawn out conversations but he'd smiled, even laughed more than he ever had since they'd been here and she wasn't imagining it.

Beaver, she found didn't taste like fish. He caught it the day before. They'd soaked the back straps in salt water all night before setting it in a pot to simmer on low most of the afternoon with a can of beef flavored broth. She cooked the rice in a separate pot and popped open a can of sweet corn.

A few days ago she'd come across two wine glasses in a cupboard above the refrigerator. Daryl had hollered at her for standing on a chair and had picked her up off it, before she could get a hold of them. But she'd gotten to them eventually. Tonight they'd drink their water out of wine glasses and dine by candlelight. Things had been going quite splendidly. She wasn't sure why she had to go and ruin it by bringing up Merle.

She'd tried to broach the subject gently as they ate. He'd given her a hearty "Pshaw." when she handed him the wine glass, but he ate the stew over the rice like it was going out of style. With each subtle nudge she gave him, he ate faster and grew more aggravated. It wasn't just he who was worried about how everyone had made out, it was her too. Especially when they were here, tucked away safe for the time being and the others, they could be – she didn't even want to think that any of them could be gone. He'd already mentioned that Tyreese had gotten bit.

"I ain't leavin' ya here by yourself." He argued. "Walkers, or even the governor's men come pickin' through here what are ya gonna do? Sick Big Guy on 'em?" The cat was at his feet, sniffing at the air. "Damn cat."

"It's only a fifteen minute walk, if that. You said so yourself. You could go, check it out and be back in no time."

"I ain't doin' it." He persisted, tapping his fork on the edge of his plate. "And as far as Merle goes, I don't give a shit about him. He's done nothin' but hold me back my whole life." He stood up and paced the kitchen floor. "Always havin' to look out for him, try an' keep him outta trouble. Bail him out. Well now look at him, mixed up with that sick bastard."

"Daryl." She stood, holding onto the back of her chair. "I let Ed control me, run me around like that. Merle may not be dead but you don't have to let him take over your whole world. You know you're worth more than what you've been told."

"I should've mattered." He said, his voice breaking slightly. "He was my kin. I don't get how I can matter to people like you, Rick, Andrea." He used his fingers, counting just them off to start. "The rest of 'em. He's my kin and he bails just like always."

She moved to touch his shoulder. He was rubbing his forehead and around his eye where the bruises from what the governor had done were fading. "Daryl."

"Just leave me be for a second."

"I'm sorry I brought it up." She told him and took their plates to the sink.

"Ya need to finish that." He snapped, trying to stop her.

"I lost my appetite. I'm goin' in to lay down for a bit."

She wasn't tryin' to be a baby about it. She only felt bad for getting it started. His loud huff could be heard as she rounded the corner in the hall to walk in the bedroom with Big Guy at her heels.

Sleep fell upon her easily, as it did since she'd taken the heavy blow to the side of her head. Daryl had changed her bandages and cleaned the wound each day, but it was starting to itch like crazy. She only hoped she wouldn't rip the stitches in her sleep.

Sometime later she spotted a flickering light on the dresser and heard him going out the front door, coming back in, there would be a long wait while she heard him clunking around in the kitchen and then he would walk through the bedroom to the bathroom. Finally she pulled herself from the deep sleep she'd fallen into and asked him on his way through, "Are you sick? What's going on?"

"Shh, just rest. I'll get ya up when I need ya."

He didn't have to tell her twice. The last thing she wanted was to burden him again with thoughts of his past or have him any more concerned about the group than he already was.

"Hey" He whispered, "I'm all ready for ya."

She opened one eye and saw him kneeling in front of the bed. The thick candle was still flickering on the dresser and she saw more light coming from the bathroom.

He helped her stand up as she wiped the groggy sleep from her eyes and yawned into her hands.

"Come on, before it gets cold." He urged, taking her hand and leading her to the bathroom.

Her eyes widened when she saw what he'd been up to. He'd taken water from the well, warmed it up on the gas stove and filled the garden tub. It must've taken him as least two hours.

"Bubbles even." She mused, a smile tugging at her lips. "You didn't have to do this – I – I ruined - "

"Ya didn't ruin nothin'. Now hop in."

"You aren't gonna boil me, are ya?" She teased, undressing in front of him. It'd been too long since she'd bathed.

"Should be fine, I just checked it." He told her in all seriousness.

She laughed. "Daryl, I was kidding. She slid into the tub, not having felt luxury like this since before the plague of walkers, since even before having Sophia. "Come on. There's room for you too."

He shook his head. "I'm fine just watchin'."

"Come on, you're getting' a bit ripe over there." She teased, but his eyes were still dark and stormy. It surprised her when he stood and began undressing.

That made the night complete, him sliding in behind her, helping her wash up with a wash cloth, moving it down between her breasts, feeling the weight of his other hand across her stomach. All she had to do was turn her head and his lips would be right there. She tried but he shook his head. "You can't." He whispered. "Too soon."

"It's fine, I want to." She argued, trying to move his hand lower, but the muscles in his arm held strong. "You're not my doctor."

"Closest thing ya got to one." He grumbled.

She let out a sigh. "Okay. No more arguing. I will - just wilt away from no lovin'."

His chest wiggled at that and she knew she'd made him laugh, though he probably wouldn't admit it.

Once the water grew cooler, he helped her dry off and on the bed lay an outfit he'd picked out for her. She held up the bell-bottomed jeans, the t-shirt, the bra and underwear, sweat shirt, socks and turned to him. "Why is it I keep getting stuck with teenagers clothing?"

He shrugged, scrunching his face up. "If you don't like it you can check this closet out, but I think you'd drown in her stuff. Besides, your ass looks good in them hip huggin' jeans."

No one had ever said anything like that to her. She was sure her face was red as a beet and she was thankful for the yellow light from the candle to disguise it.

The men's clothes left behind fit Daryl almost right, though he did have to hunt up a belt for the jeans. Whether he admitted it or not, they'd both grown thinner. They lay in bed under the covers later and she felt the need to apologize again.

"Go to sleep. I'll go find out what's going on tomorrow after I catch some game. Ya won okay?"

"Daryl."

He blew out a long breath on her forehead. "What?"

"Thank you." Was all she dared say, lest he change his mind.

Morning came before she knew it. Time had no meaning without the help of Dale's watch. She hoped Glenn was still wearing it and that he and the rest of them had gotten back to Maggie, Herschel and the kids safely.

Daryl walked up across the yard that morning with a duck in tow. "Get him ready for our supper." He said handing it to her.

"Are ya leavin' now?"

He gave his broad shoulders a lift and squinted at her. "Thought that's what you wanted. No time like the present."

She watched him walk across the yard and into the woods, taking a direct path toward the prison rather than traveling the roads.

Making use of her time cleaning and plucking the water fowl helped keep her fears at bay. Now that he'd gone she wondered how she would fight off a walker or one of the governor's men – if there were any left. There was always that chance he'd run into one of them in the woods. A walker she wasn't so worried about. Daryl had dealt with walkers. It was the governor's men that concerned her.

She was just maneuvering the duck into the roasting pan after having poked it full of holes to let the fat drain out, when she heard a vehicle pulling up the driveway. She closed the oven and looked around for a knife. Unfortunately the only knives left in the house were the butter knives and one large butcher knife which was covered in duck guts. She groaned out loud and washed it off quickly moving toward the front door, but saw Daryl coming up the deck steps out of the corner of her eye.

Seeing the knife wasn't necessary she set it on the bar and walked out on the deck in a rush to find not only Daryl, crossbow on his shoulder, but Morgan behind him. Tears pushed their way up through into the corners of her eyes and she threw her arms out to embrace him. "I'm so glad you're okay."

When she pulled away, he smiled. "It's good to see you up on your feet. You had us all worried sick, but Daryl did good." He leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. Daryl had his mind elsewhere; it was evident in the way he was lookin' off into the woods.

"Where are the others?" She asked not hesitating.

Daryl let out a deep breath and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, which was completely unlike him. A nervous ball started winding in the middle of her stomach. "I'll let Morgan fill ya in. Make sure ya feed him, I promised him some duck. I'll be back."

Carol folded her arms across her chest gazing at Morgan and then looked on as Daryl walked away in the same direction he had earlier on foot.

"Please tell me what's going on."

Morgan took her elbow and led her to the sun chairs. He started with what happened with Tyreese. "They tried amputating his arm to save him. I hear it's been done successfully before but the conditions weren't favorable." Morgan said grimly. "Blood loss and infection got him within a few days. His men, the men that'd been with him before he got locked up at the prison were at his side when he passed."

Carol lowered her head and took a deep, shaky breath. After taking a moment for the news to digest, she asked about the others. Glenn had been shot in the shoulder deep in the hallway, but Andrea and T-Dog managed to haul him off in one of the vehicles left at the prison and get him back to Herschel. As far as Morgan knew he was doing better. With the appearance of Merle and what was going on in the lobby, she hadn't thought about Glenn and the danger he faced taking up the rear of the army.

"Rick and I stayed behind. We were able to end the battle once the men saw what Michonne had done to the governor, most of them surrendered their weapons."

Carol breathed a sigh of relief. "Everyone else is okay? What happened to the governor?"

"That's where things got a little 'iffy'." His calm demeanor grew steadily angrier as he went on. "Michonne had him. She put a hurtin' on him too. You saw some of it, but not the worst of it. Still one of his key men managed to slug her and carry his ass out of there."

"What?" Carol was shocked.

"That's not saying he'll make it. He was severely disfigured when the man made away with him, not even on his own two feet."

Carol fought to slow her breathing. He was still alive. "So the prison?"

"We're there now, me and my men, the rest of your group. Some of the men he'd forced into working for him wanted to be given a chance, some we took care of." He didn't go into detail, but Carol knew. "Not sure if Rick's planning on having you all stay permanently or not, but he's moving you all back in for now until you regroup and figure out your next move."

"And Daryl? Where was he off to?" Then she realized. "Merle." She said standing, pacing to the edge of the deck steps. "He went after Merle."

Morgan walked up next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "He escaped - while we were busy with Tyreese. Rick made sure he wouldn't catch up with Daryl when he carried you out of there, cause that's what he was plannin'. Shot him in the leg."

"I should've asked him where he was going." She fretted, biting her fingernail. "Sneaky. He brings you over, drops you off to keep an eye on me and takes off to put himself in danger." She was livid.

Morgan attempted to pacify her. "We got word this morning of where Merle was hidin' out. One of my men came across his trail. Daryl will find him."

"You saw what he did to him at the prison. Wounded or not, Merle's a maniac."

"And he's his brother. Let them sort it out." Morgan urged.

Carol huffed and paced the deck but eventually calmed down. "I – He's just been through so much, before all of this." She gestured out to the yard, the trees, but she meant before the walkers roamed the Earth.

"I don't know what he's gone through, but I'm willing to bet he's goin' out there to put this behind him and he'll come back to you. Sometimes you just can't move forward in your life until you put the past behind ya. That boy cares for you. He looks at you like I looked at Jenny. I wish I'd had the courage to do the same."

Carol knew from when they'd talked last week he was speaking of his wife. He'd left her as a walker just outside of Atlanta, unable to put her down. "You have moved on in other ways Morgan. You went after the governor to avenge Duane. I'd say that's somethin'."

"I only wish I had been able to get at the walker who killed him, or gotten to the governor first."

"From what I heard you were too busy helping us out. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He said placing his hands on the railing. "I was afraid we'd lost you. They'll all be thrilled to hear you're okay. If anything that made it worth my time. It's coolin' down out here. Why don't we get inside? Daryl says you got a duck cookin'?"

* * *

Daryl took his time coming back through the woods and paused in the corner of the yard, debating on washing the blood off his hands before he went inside. It wouldn't matter it was on his clothes too, she'd see it plain as day. Talking about what'd happened was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew he owed her an explanation. He didn't know what to expect. She might be mad as a wet ass hen at him for taking off today. He'd be if it were her.

"Stop being a pussy." He told himself. He hadn't been a pussy when he'd found Merle. He glanced down at his brother's blood, took a deep breath and walked toward the house.

Morgan was at the sink when he came in. Carol stood, bracing herself with a tight grip on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. They shared eye contact for a moment; each gauging what the other was feeling before he finally spoke. "Got any left for me?"

Morgan wiped his hands on a dishtowel. "There's plenty." He answered for Carol when Carol couldn't seem to.

Her eyes were fixed on his shirt. She tilted her head. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Come, wash up then." Morgan told him. "You can walk me out while Carol fixes you your plate."

Daryl saw the way Morgan eyed Carol. It was his way of telling her to take it easy and he came out of his shock long enough to be thankful that the man was there. Morgan also wanted to know what happened – the shortened version before he left. He ran through that quietly down near the truck in case she was listenin'.

"When do you think you'll join us at the prison?" Morgan asked. "More protection there. You're really out in the open here."

Daryl nodded. "Give us a few more days then send a truck. I don't want her walkin' that far for right now. Bunk us up in our old room if that can be done. Rick and the others will know where.

Morgan gave him an even smile and a nod. "She was upset. About you goin'? I think you'll be able to talk to her now though."

Daryl took a few steps back as Morgan opened the truck door. "Thanks for sittin' with her. I'll let her know what's goin' on." He said quietly.

"You need anything 'till we come for ya, you know where to find us."

Carol sat across from his place setting at the table with Big Guy on her lap meowing. Daryl went to the cupboard and got the cat a saucer, adding a few scraps of duck and setting it on the floor.

"He's already had plenty. He acts like he's starvin'."

"He's a big cat. Needs to keep his gut full." Daryl told her relaxing a bit. She didn't sound angry. "Merle's locked up at the prison. That's where he's stayin'. Morgan told me he filled you in on everything else."

"How? Nevermind. Eat, and then tell me." She said.

Stuffing his mouth full of duck and rice, he attempted to tell her anyhow just to get it over with. "I found him not too far from that summer camp in an old farm house. His leg's infected. He'd managed to get the bullet out but he was pretty much delirious by the time I got to him. I got him cleaned up, but he came around and started his shit."

He knew he'd have to face Merle again, deal with him when he was more lucid, but he'd avoid that cell block for as long as he could.

"So we had ourselves a not so friendly conversation." He pointed to the blood. "I drug his ass off to the prison; the men took him off my hands from there." He left out all the threats and shit he'd hurled when he woke up and realized where Daryl had him.

Carol rolled her eyes and blew out a deep breath. "Any word on the governor? Morgan said they got him out of there alive."

"One guy got him out of there and he was barely alive." Daryl countered. "We ain't gonna let our guard down. He's nowhere ready to come back and mess with us yet. I'm sure of at least that much."

She picked up Big Guy. The cat put his front paws on her bony shoulder and began pushin'. "When are we leavin' this place?"

Daryl shrugged. "I told Morgan to send a vehicle in a few days. If you wanna stay longer - "

She reached her hand across the table and covered his with hers, steering clear of the raw spots on his knuckles. "No. It's not safe to stay here any longer than that. It's been nice Daryl, but we should get back to them."

He finished his meal, listening to the cat purr and watching her as the light faded from the sky. When she picked up his plate and took it to the sink, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her hips, groaning in her ear. "What'd ya think about bein' my wife?"

She spun around suddenly on her heels and he held her up by keeping his arms around her. He didn't even know where the words came from or how they managed to find their way out of his mouth, but they were out now and there was no taking them back. Her eyes were like saucers and she failed to hide the smile that wanted to pop through.

"I mean for what it's worth. I don't really want a big ta do or any - "

She shut him up with a kiss and leaned back, smiling. "Mmm, tastes like duck."

"Is that a yes?" He asked.


	35. A Better Life

**Well, this has been quite the journey! I want to thank each and every one of you who've read all of this story or even a chapter or two. For those of you who left a review - a huge thanks! It helped keep me motivated. I plan on writing more for Carol and Daryl. Chloe (Septiclovebite) and SOA Loving Mom (Karla) have challenged me to write a One Shot...so I plan on that soon. Hopefully after that I will do another Chapter Saga. I am sad that this one has ended but hopefully I did the character's justice for all they endured. Enjoy and review! {{{HUGS}}} Kat**

A lot had changed by the time Rick came to pick them up a few days after Daryl's unexpected proposal. Since Daryl had given them a few days before someone came for them, Carol took it upon herself to come up with a plan. She woke just before dawn the morning after he'd asked her to marry him and quietly snuck out of bed. Not waking Daryl was one of the biggest challenges she'd faced in the past week and a half. She still got dizzy on occasion, but that was mostly the pain meds he kept shoving at her. Finally she put her foot down and told him "No more." And while she knew he still worried, and that in itself was always endearing, her body knew best.

How she managed to write the note and slip out of the house without waking him was beyond her comprehension. Maybe he was tired out with all that had happened with Merle yesterday or maybe it was that she'd finally convinced him that it was okay for them to have sex. How many times had they done it? She'd lost track and wasn't sure if the very last time had even counted. A giggle welled up inside her thinking about it. A year ago she never would've envisioned herself doing anything or being anything like she was now. She glanced up at the sky as she walked toward the pond thinking about Sophia and daydreamed of her still being there, about her, Daryl and Sophia together. She would've come to love Daryl as much as Carol had. And she had no doubt that Daryl would've taken to her little girl. Sophia had been a rare gem, a textbook baby, rarely ever throwing a tantrum when she was younger, Carol's bright spot.

She knew where she was going, it just felt right. They'd spotted the farm house on the other side of the pond last week when he'd first walked her down that far. There didn't seem to be any walkers around, and he'd already checked out the farm house. Still she had her knives ready, just in case. He said the farm house was bigger than where they were staying, but a wreck inside.

Carol wasn't big on going through peoples stuff. It was one of the tasks she rather disliked since the whole world changed. But this morning she was on a mission, and determined to get back to Daryl before he woke. She had a feeling that wouldn't happen but still she wanted to try. Things were different now, and she had learned to be stronger than she was before. She could do this. The wooded area she needed to cross to get to the pond was thin, so thin in fact that they could see the pond from the bedroom window of the house. It was so pretty to pull the blanket back in the morning and watch the water rippling in the sunlight. She would miss this place once they went back to the prison, but perhaps they wouldn't always have to stay there.

The woods was quiet, void of any shuffling animals, or walkers, only the occasional peck of a wood pecker, or tweet of a bird. A goose flew in overhead landing in the pond with a splash, startling her as she climbed over the downed pine and crossed through the rest of woods to the pond. It was then that she found the walker, well half of what used to be a man. It'd dragged itself through the woods and the muck near the edge of where the cattails were growing. It made that hollow air like gasping noise and rolled on its back before she fixed her knife steady in her hands and stabbed it through the temple. Then she lifted it by its arms and pulled it off into the weeds. With a satisfied huff, she made her way around the pond to the house. She knew what she was looking for and had a feeling in a huge farm house like the one that lay ahead she'd find what she needed.

* * *

Daryl woke up, patting the empty spot beside him. He'd slept hard seeing as how he'd only gotten a few hours sleep. Carol would be the death of him in more ways than one. He leaned up on both his elbows, staring Big Guy in the face as he climbed up Daryl's torso, meowing for food more than likely. He sat up, rubbing his face with his hands, shooing the cat away. "Jus' gimme a minute you bottomless fuckin' pit." Then he heard nothing, no dishes clanking together in the kitchen, no footsteps throughout the house. "Carol?" He asked loudly. Getting up quickly he padded out to the kitchen. The coffee mug sat on the bar with a note underneath it.

"I went out to get something, but you being the tracker you are, I know you'll find me. If you are still asleep by the time I get back I guess I'll just destroy the evidence and re-heat this coffee. Love, Carol"

He put his palm around the mug. The coffee was still warm. He sipped a few sips before putting on his boots. Big Guy followed him to the door. "I uh, I'm gonna go get your mama." He sighed, picking up his crossbow. "Talkin' to a fuckin' cat." _What the hell've I reduced myself to?_ He thought, but then chuckled because he knew life was way better now, walkers or no walkers, than it ever had been.

Her tracks went straight down through the dew-laden grass into the woods, over the pine and the rest of the way to the pond. He stopped when he saw where the weeds had been matted down, spotted the raunchy trail where a walker, most likely, had pulled itself across the wooded lot toward the pond. It stopped abruptly and then went the other direction, so he followed the short path and found where she'd disposed of it. Then he picked up her tracks again from there which lead to the farm house. What the hell did she want in there? He'd told her it was a mess. He'd taken everything that was usable. Though he supposed maybe she'd wanted to see for herself. Frustration welled up inside him. He wanted to bitch her out for goin' alone, yet he knew that she was gettin' stronger every day. It was only a matter of time before she'd snap on him for coddlin' her.

He passed by the barn where all the livestock that had been locked up had been picked clean by walkers. He'd only taken a peek inside and had no interest in checking it out regardless of what he might find useful inside. He'd have ta be a desperate son' of a bitch to walk in there. The above ground pool off to the side of the house was empty with a dried algae ring near the bottom and even with the weather being cooler he could smell the musty smell blowing off of it with the wind.

Walking across the deck, he pulled the sliding glass door open with ease to find her standing in the hallway wearing a champagne colored strapless dress that fit her like a glove. When she turned away from the mirror she was gazing into, he noticed she'd put on make up, somethin' to highlight her eyes and some shiny gloss on her lips too.

"Oh, hi Daryl."

"You feelin' alright?" He asked, once he found his voice after seein' her like that.

"Fine." She said, smiling at him.

"No really." He crossed the room and felt her forehead. "What'd you go leavin' like that for?"

"I knew you'd find me." She said simply. "You asked me a question last night, so I thought I'd go for a stroll and think about it. I wound up here and found a few things that might help me give you the answer you were lookin' to hear, at least I hope."

His hands had a mind of their own, sliding around the silky material. "What makes you think the offer still stands?" He was kidding, but she frowned slightly. "Hey. Where are the clothes you came in?"

She pointed to a bag on the kitchen table. "I found that, and a few other things we could take with us. She moved her hand to where his rested on her hip and put two small things in his palm. He squeezed them tight, took her other hand and looped the bag over his arm, pulling her out the door.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

He led her half way down to where the sun was just hitting the pond, where he knew it would warm her bare shoulders. He stood face to face with her, set down the bag and then checked what she'd put in his hand. Thank Christ it was what he thought it was. Two very pretty rings. They looked like air looms, white gold, one with a blue garnet stone in the middle and the other a thin, feminine looking band. His heart thumped a steady, but quick rhythm in his chest and he ached at the sight of her, at how unsure she was of what he was up to.

"You're right." He started. "I asked you somethin' last night and I said I didn't want no fuss. So this is it I 'spose. I'm not really good with words, you know that. I love you and I want you to be mine. Christ, you've been mine for a long time I think." Her smile was bright but her eyes teary and darting away every time he tried to look at her. "Come on, let me in." He urged.

Finally she lifted her chin. "I guess I'm just nervous." She told him, holding her left hand out for him to slide the rings on. He smirked when he felt her shaking too.

"Daryl I'll be honest, I was shocked, but maybe after all we've been through, it was all leading up to this. I feel it, you know? I'm not psychic, I don't have great intuition, actually it sucks, but everything in this moment feels right. And I'm good with that. I have this beautiful dress, these rings and - " She lifted up the hem of the dress. "and my knives." She said giggling.

"Don't forget the boots. That cinches the whole outfit." He told her sliding the rings on the rest of the way. "So I guess this is it."

She looked him in the eyes. "I'm yours Daryl."

He pulled her into his arms and held her for long while. "That's how I want it to stay." He whispered. "Now we better get back and feed that cat before he tears down the fuckin' walls."

Carol's shoulders heaved as she laughed into his chest. "Leave it to you Daryl. Never a dull moment."

They walked back to the house and he was surprised that she kept the dress on most of the day, but he supposed she'd never gotten to wear anything so pretty before.

Two days later Rick arrived in a pick-up and they had everything they could use from the house packed and ready to go on the deck.

"Nice place here." Rick said, watching Carol carefully as he and Daryl loaded the truck.

"It's been cozy." Carol said, with maybe a little too wide of a smile because Rick shot him a look, and Daryl just shrugged to blow him off.

"It got us through." Daryl added. It was their special place. He didn't want anyone else in on their time there. Call it selfish, she called it sweet. It was what it was. He knew they'd all notice the rings eventually. Rick did once they climbed in the cab of the truck. It wasn't hard to spot them when she had a death lock on the cat and the gold stuck out so bright against his raven fur.

Rick cleared his throat. "Glad you're alright Carol."

Daryl knew it was weird for Rick to see them practically domesticated but when they got back to the prison, it was back to business. They'd already gotten a lead on where the governor might be hiding out and scavenging groups had been set up to go into every nearby town to gather more supplies.

They would always be a part of the group and look out for the people they held dear. Calling Carol his wife wouldn't change that. What it meant to the two of them was what counted in the long run. Their awkward exchange of vows – if you could call them that - by the pond had been near perfect or what he would consider close. Not having anything to go on as a guideline had its advantages, he supposed. And he was positive it beat her first wedding by a mile.

"We were thinkin' after we get you two settled back in we'd have a celebration. We need to regroup, give some of them a reason to smile again."

Carol clutched Big Guy to her stomach. "I've missed everyone. I can't wait to see them all."

Daryl just grunted. He hated to admit it, but he missed seein' their faces and dealin' with all of their quirks, Andrea the way she nosed around and called things how they were, Rick's cynicism and constant vigil he kept as their leader, T-Dog and the fact that he's always there in a pinch, Herschel and his wacky words of wisdom, Glenn and his endless chattering, Maggie and her constant questioning them every step of the way, Michonne and her strange, quiet ways, and the kids of course. He missed seeing the way Carol lit up just by being around them.

The prison doors were opened by two men he didn't recognize when they arrived – Morgan's men. There were a lot more people scattered around the courtyard too. This would be their safe haven for now. One threat lay locked inside, the other they would hunt down until he was taken care of the proper way.

When they lay down together in their old room later that night after a big meal, Carol turned down the lamp locked her fingers around his. He rubbed the rings with the pad of his thumb. "It's good we're back, but I think I'll miss that time we had together."

"Anytime you wanna go back, just read my journal. It's all in there."

He let out a heavy breath. "I'm sure it is." Woman never put the damn thing down, but he knew there'd come a moment where he'd wanna pick it up and go through it. He liked reading what she jotted down. It helped him make sense of what she felt and even what he was feeling. He only hoped that he could do her justice as a husband in ways that no one in her life ever had. With her hand wrapped around his, laying in their bed, he knew they'd at least made a start at something decent.

* * *

Big Guy, or Big Boy as some at the huge castle called him became the people's unofficial mascot. "He's like a panther." The youngest blonde girl would say. He thought her name was Beth.

"More like the Pillsbury Dough cat." His surrogate dad barked. "Fuckin' cat never stops eating."

_Maybe if there weren't so many people around to spoil me_, _I'd be in better shape._ He thought.

His surrogate mama tried to keep him out of everyone's way. It'd been awhile since any of them had had a pet, she reminded him often.

There was going to be a small celebration, he had heard, which meant more food for him. He only knew he'd never been so happy to come running out of the woods to find new people at his old home. People - not those stumbling, smelly ripped up things that resembled people. He once saw one of them pick up an opossum and chew its face clean off. He'd never seen a person do that before. That's when he realized that when he sniffed one coming his way, he needed to climb the nearest tree – or hide out in the crawl space under the house. He was a survivor. He'd lived through it all and persevered when the other cats and animals perished to the undead, stinky things. That's how he knew now that he was home for good. That's why he knew he belonged with this group of people because they were survivors too.


End file.
